THE DEPARTMENT of Education has rejected calls for an ‘academic freeze’, saying it will lead to a prolonged interruption of students’ learning.

“This [call] is not supported by the direction of the Department of Education for learning continuity,” DepEd Undersecretary and Spokesperson Nepomuceno Malaluan said during the “Handang Isip, Handa Bukas” virtual press briefing.

“We believe that this call for academic freeze is not popular because we already have the support of as many as 24 million students and their parents who have already enrolled and will participate in the distance learning from October 5,” Malaluan added.

Several campus groups and teachers’ coalitions earlier called on President Rodrigo Duterte to issue an executive order declaring an academic freeze until January.

The groups said that the government has failed to take necessary measures needed to ensure a successful shift from traditional to online classes.

Malaluan said that groups batting for ‘academic freeze’ did not consider the effects of prolonged learning interruption for children.

“DepEd has been preparing as early as April and working with partners to ensure that we will be able to deliver instructions through various modalities including through blended learning approach with printed learning, digital format modules and supplemented by online and even educational television and radio broadcast,” the official said.