A teacher made cardboard cut-outs of his 21 students as he was missing them while schools are closed in the Philippines.

Jayson Magan said it was his way of easing the loneliness he was feeling since the school is still conducting online distance learning because of the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions.

Footage shows how he lovingly printed life-size pictures of the youngsters and had them positioned around his desk at the Burol Elementary School in Occidental Mindoro province on October 26.

He said: ‘Honestly, it is also one of the students’ activities. I just added a twist to make the standees more creative. Their parents helped me make them.

‘I’m happy because I won’t feel alone in the classroom, even though some people have said the standees were a little creepy.’

The Philippine Department of Education said around 59 schools in low-risk areas in the country will undergo a test run of in-person classes starting November 15.

Their pilot study will only cover students from kindergarten to the third grade, and will end on January 31, after which the conduct of face-to-face classes may expand depending on the results.