(Eagle News) — The Commission on Higher Education said it will issue a show-cause order against a school in Isabela for holding face-to-face orientations and classes.
In asking Isabela Colleges, Inc. to explain its move, CHED noted that the conduct of face-to-face classes was in violation of Inter-Agency Task Force and CHED advisories issued amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
CHED announced it would issue the show-cause order after a student of the college located in Cauayan tested positive for COVID-19, with city health officials tracing up to 45 contacts of the student.
According to the local health officials, the student, an employee of the local government unit, attended a series of orientations on Aug. 29 for post-baccalaureate students in the school, a fact validated by the CHED regional office.
CHED said the institution also admitted it conducted Saturday classes effective Aug. 24.
“The CHED advisories have consistently advised (higher education institutions) to refrain from conducting face-to-face or in-person classes or mass gatherings in their campuses. This has been disseminated in the print and broadcast media and in several Zoom meetings with HEIs considering the threat of community transmission due to the mass gathering of students,” CHED chairman Prospero de Vera said.
De Vera added the IATF has said limited face-to-face classes in low-risk modified general community quarantine areas must still comply with CHED guidelines.