THE KABATAAN Party-list on Monday said that the Philippines was the last country to open schools and warned that without sufficient budget, not all schools will be able to conduct physical classes.

“We note this development, but it is no proud achievement for the outgoing Duterte admin. Youth and students have been calling for safe school reopening since 2020 but much of our legitimate demands fell on deaf ears and slow hands. Students have already been left behind,” the group said.

“We reiterate that without sufficient budget allotment, clear guidelines and education aid, there is no guarantee for 100% face-to-face classes,” it added.

Without funding, the group believes that the declared time-table for school reopening will force school communities to turn to income-generating projects, privatization schemes, tuition hikes, loans, and other exploitative policies to keep up.

“And even if 100% of schools were to shore up funds, not 100% of students will be able to return to schooling given discriminatory policies and absence of student aid,” the youth group stressed.

“We call on the next DepEd chief and fellow members of the incoming 19th Congress to ensure the budget to make 100% implementation of safe and inclusive face-to-face classes possible,” it said.