THE FEDERATION of Associations of Private Schools Administrators called on the government to vaccinate students before considering the resumption of physical classes.

The group maintained that it is too risky to conduct face-to-face classes.

“Vaccinate first our students in basic education before face-to-face classes. The situation now is very unstable. The virus is still out of control,” FAPSA president Eleazardo Kasilag said.

“What we need is quarantine. It is isolation not integration. Social distancing not class interaction. If there is group that dares to go face-to-face, we wait,” Kasilag added.

The World Health Organization earlier said that the Philippines, Japan, Malaysia and Vietnam are the worst-hit countries in the Western Pacific Region.

“The reality is NCR [National Capital Region] is in the critical level and nationwide has 7,000 to 15,000 cases daily. Hospitals are full, medicines for Covid cost millions. Even doctors and nurses expire in their exposure to patients — this situation is morbid where deaths are in the hundreds,” Kasilag said.

“I say until the entire population in the basic education has been vaccinated up to herd community state, do not open schools.  Period,” he added.

Learning from home is the only best alternative at this time, Kasilag said.

“Even if face-to-face is on, I doubt if parents shall allow their kids’ exposure for classes.  Right now, education is the third in our stakeholders’ priority. It is first food, health then school,” he added.

“I know we have to live with the virus but let us open the classrooms when the hospitals are also open, when teachers and students have been inoculated,” Kasilag said.