THE DEPARTMENT of Education on Tuesday expressed its readiness to start the new school year next month despite the challenges.

Education Undersecretary and Chief of Staff Nepomuceno Malaluan said that the DepEd and its partners are “very deep into our preparations for school opening.”

“Tunay po na makikita natin sa ikalawang taon ng pagpapatupad natin ng blended o distance learning sa panahon ng pandemya ay napakahalaga ng pagtutulungan natin. Dahil hindi ito maisasagawa ng DepEd lamang,” Malaluan said.

The DepEd will conduct the Oplan Balik Eskwela 2021 with the theme “Bayanihan Para sa Ligtas na Balik Eskwela” from September 6 to 17.

“The OBE is a two-week national activity of DepEd that aims to address queries, complaints and other concerns that are commonly encountered by the public at the start of the school year, to ensure that learners are properly enrolled and able to attend (thru blended learning) the first day of classes,” the official said.

The DepEd will set up the OBE-Public Assistance Command Center at the Bulwagan ng Karunungan at its Central Office.

Partner agencies will help the education sector, especially in making necessary adjustments on how to implement the blended learning modality.

The members of the OBE-IATF are the Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Transportation, Department of Information and Communications Technology, Manila Electric Company, Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and  Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.

Also included are the Philippine National Police, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, National Telecommunications Commission, and Presidential Communications Operations Office, Department of Energy, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Health, Department of National Defense, Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Social Welfare and Development.