MANILA - Sen. Christopher "Bong" Go on Thursday
urged the Department of Education (DepEd) to
move the opening of classes to October, saying the
agency needs more time to prepare teachers,
parents and students for different learning methods
under the new normal.
The opening of classes should be moved from
August 24 to October to "avoid risking the lives of
children" and give the government "more time" to
prepare, said Go, who chairs the Senate Committee
on Health.
"Kung hindi pa handa, huwag nating pilitin.
Magiging kawawa ang mga estudyante, kawawa
ang mga teachers," he said in a statement.
(If we are not ready for it, we should not force it.
Students and teachers will have a hard time.)
"Hirap na po ang mga Pilipino, huwag na nating
dagdagan pa ng pressure ang mga bata at mga
magulang nila," he said.
(Filipinos are already having a hard time, let's not
add pressure to the children and their parents.)
Congress earlier passed a measure allowing the
DepEd to move the opening of classes beyond
August, but Education Sec. Leonor Briones opted to
keep the August 24 opening, with students learning
at home - either through online, tv, radio, or printed
materials - to avoid possible exposure to the
coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
DepEd: August 24 class opening stays for now,
Duterte to make final decision in July
DepEd still needs to finish printing self-learning
modules for students, while teachers and learners
also need more time to familiarize themselves with
the shift to distance learning, Go said.
"Kung tayo nga dito sa Senado ay nahihirapan sa
transition to online, paano pa kaya sila?" he said.
(Even we in the Senate are having a hard time
transitioning to online, what more these children?)
"Ang internet hindi rin reliable, tapos 'yung offline
modes of learning naman pinaghahandaan pa rin...
Ayaw nating maipasa ang burden sa estudyante at
ma-pressure sila dahil sa makabagong paraan ng
pag-aaral kung hindi pa naman po handa ang
lahat," he said.
(Our internet [connection] is not reliable, and the
offline modes of learning are still being being
prepared... We don't want to pass the burden to
students and pressure them to shift to this new
form of learning if we are not yet ready for it.)
Senate Basic Education Committee chair Sen.
Sherwin Gatchalian gave a similar recommendation
after his panel found that the DepEd has yet to
finalize its COVID-19 program for teachers.
"Very disappointing kasi giyera 'yung pupuntahan
natin tapos ang mga sundalo natin walang
proteksyon," Gatchalian said, referring to teachers
who are required to visit their students in
communities from time-to-time.
(It is very disappointing because we are sending
our soldiers to war without protection.)
"Ang importante ngayon ay ang assurance sa ating
teachers na aalagaaan namin kayo, may pondo
kami dito, may partnership with PhilHealth at kahit
anong mangyari sa inyo okay kayo," he said in an
online press conference.
(The important thing that we should do now is to
give assurance to our teachers that we will care for
them, we have funds for them, we have a
partnership with PhilHealth, so that whatever
happens to them, they are going to be okay.)
Robredo wants virus test for teachers, fund
realignment for distance learning tools
Teachers also want class opening moved
The Alliance of Concerned Teachers has also asked
senators to pass a resolution urging President
Rodrigo Duterte to postpone the August 24 school
opening.
Less than 2 weeks before classes start, only 38
percent of school division offices are "half ready"
with printed modules, the group said, citing DepEd
data presented to senators on Wednesday.
The group said the unavailability of printed
modules in most schools "cannot be taken lightly."
"We hereby call on senators to sign a resolution
recommending that the president move the formal
opening of classes until quality learning can be
guaranteed for all learners and the health of all
involved secured," the group said.
The Philippines' shift to distance learning education
began in the second quarter of 2020, after
President Rodrigo Duterte banned children from
coming to school while a COVID-19 vaccine has yet
to be formulated.
Earlier this week, the Philippines began meeting
with Russian vaccine makers for Phase III testing
of Sputnik V, touted to be the world's first vaccine
against COVID-19.
Duterte might get Russia's COVID-19 vaccine
shots by May 2021: Palace
hmmmm