STUDENTS from other grade levels will be able to participate in face-to-face classes beginning next month, an official of the Department of Education said Wednesday.

Undersecretary Nepomuceno Malaluan said that in the initial run of the program, only Kindergarten to Grade 3 as well as Senior High School students were allowed to participate.

“Ibubukas na ito sa more grade levels,” he said in an interview on Dobol B TV.

Education Secretary Leonor Briones earlier said that the expansion of face-to-face classes will commence not earlier than the first week of February.

On Tuesday, Malacañang said President Rodrigo Duterte backed DepEd’s plan to expand in-person classes.

The DepEd said the President’s approval must have been prompted by the success of the program’s pilot run.

During the conduct of pilot face-to-face classes from November 15 to December 20 last year, DepEd said 287 public and private schools participated nationwide.

“There was no recorded confirmed Covid19 case among the 15,683 learners who participated in the pilot implementation of limited face-to-face classes,” the DepEd said.