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PHILIPPINES: Over 700 Catholic Schools Shuttered After Pandemic
At least 860 out of 14,000 private schools have shut their doors permanently in the Philippines, many citing financial constraints due to the pandemic. The Philippine Education Department opened a probe into the closures, which have affected nearly 60,000 students and 4,500 teachers.
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Nov 2022Over 700 of the shuttered schools were run by Catholic institutions, representing nearly 85 percent of those affected. Primary and secondary schools reopened across the Philippines last August, many for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic struck over two years ago.
The Southeast Asian nation is among the last countries in the world to resume full-time, in-person lessons and has been among the worst hit by the pandemic in the region.