25 Ilocos private schools forced to close operations

By Liezle Basa Inigo

PANGASINAN – A total of 25 private schools in Region 1 were forced to suspend operations in school year 2020-2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
       According to a local report, 16 private schools closed in Pangasinan, six in La Union, two in Ilocos Norte and one in Ilocos Sur.

      DepEd Region 1 Public Affairs Unit Head and Spokesperson Cesar Bucsit reported that the temporary closure of private schools was mainly due to the pandemic.

      He said decreased enrollment, problems with the implementation of various learning modalities, and restrictions imposed by the Inter-Agency Task Force on COVID-19 (IATF).

      He also noted that many students transferred to public schools due to lack of income of their parents, many of whom lost their jobs because of the downtrend in the economy.

        DepEd Region 1 is still preparing for the start of classes on October 5.