CHED: Students absent on rainy days deserve make-up tests

Students who cannot make it to school due to bad weather should not worry much about missing required activities, based on an existing order by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) on class suspension. On Monday evening, worried students flooded Twitter with concerns about the risks of going to school on Tuesday amid the threat of Typhoon Pedring. The keyword “CHED," in fact, is the eighth trending or most discussed topic on Twitter as of this posting. CHED Memorandum Order No. 34, signed by CHED chairperson Patricia Licuanan in 2010, makes it clear that only college and university heads can suspend classes during inclement weather. A provision of the order that is often overlooked, however, concerns the obligation of schools to give absent students some consideration. “Even without the suspension of classes, students who are unable to report to class or participate in scheduled activities such as exams, due to inclement weather, shall be given consideration and be allowed to make up for the missed class or activity," the CHED order states. Meanwhile, the Department of Education called off Tuesday's classes for pre-school, elementary, and high school levels due to Typhoon Pedring. The typhoon has further intensified as of Monday evening, placing at least eight areas under Storm Signal No. 3. The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration has also placed 14 areas – including Metro Manila – under Storm Signal No. 2, and 19 areas under Signal No. 1. — VS, GMA News