With classes in public schools set to open on September 13, former Sen. Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos, Jr. stressed the need to fast-track the vaccination of
Gatchalian: Senate to probe distance learning quality, deferred face-to-face classes
The Senate will tackle on Wednesday, February 24, the impact of mitigating the pernicious effects of the quality of distance learning, other psycho-social concerns and the implications of postponing the resumption of face-to-face classes amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Senator Win Gatchalian said.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture said that he will raise to the Department of the Education (DepEd) to use all available tools and resources to avert a looming learning crisis as part of its next steps, reiterating his fears that a huge chunk of more than 25 million learners in the basic education sector might end up unprepared for their next level of schooling.
MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO
“We allow flexibility,” DepEd Undersecretary for Curriculum and Instruction Diosdado San Antonio told the Manila Bulletin. “We also encourage extra consideration for learners,” he added.
DepEd opened the School Year (SY) 2020-2021 in October using a distance learning approach to ensure the safety of students and teachers amid the ongoing COVID-19 situation in the country.
In the current learning set-up, the 22 million enrollees in public schools this school year were asked to choose whether they would want to learn their lessons using printed or offline modular learning, online learning, TV and/or radio-based instruction or “blended learning.” Printed modular, DepEd said, was the “most preferred” modality by both parents and students.
Months after classes for this school year started, a network of education experts, teachers, parents, and students pointed out “multiple signs” of failure under distance education.
A multi-stakeholder education movement called on the government Wednesday to avert the looming learning crisis in the country by implementing measures that would address the concerns of the education sector, particularly of students, parents, and teachers.