THE DEPARTMENT of Education agreed not to allow teachers to report onsite from May 2 to 13 in preparation for the national elections.

In a statement, the agency said DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones approved the recommendation of the Regional Directors and Division Superintendents raised through the Governance and Operations Strand.

The department said among the recommendations is majority of the teachers, numbering to more than 640,000, are expected to serve in the May 9 national and local elections.

“Teachers and schools are making preparations for election activities and as polling places before election day,” DepEd said.

“There will also be immediate post-election activities in the schools and by the teachers who will serve in the elections,” it added.

Meanwhile, teachers not serving in the elections shall continue to attend to tasks including the accomplishment of school forms, preparation of instructional materials, preparation of learning plans, and evaluation of learner’s outputs/portfolios during the period.

The DepEd also instructed the Governance and Operations and Curriculum and Instruction strands to provide the appropriate guidance to field units to implement the decision.

On April 18, the department announced the suspension of classes in public schools to help prepare for the activities related to upcoming elections.

However, several teachers’ groups have been asking DepEd to clarify its directive.

DepEd said at least 647,812 DepEd personnel would serve as poll workers.

Of these, 319,317 will serve as members of the Electoral Boards, and 200,627 as EB support staff.