MANILA, Philippines — Some 24.5 million elementary and high school students have so far enrolled in public and private schools as classes are set to open under the “blended learning system” on Oct. 5 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Education Secretary Leonor Briones said yesterday.
But while the figure is about 12 percent lower compared to last year’s enrollment, Briones said the “participants” under the new education scheme would actually double as the student’s parent or other members of their families help in the blended/distance learning system.
“We have formulated our learning continuity plan as we are counting the days towards the opening of the school year on Oct. 5. We are appreciative of the support of the Senate, the House (of Representatives), parents, experts and international advisers,” Briones told the Senate committee on finance hearing on the proposed P568-billion budget of the Department of Education (DepEd) for 2021.
She said the enrollment figure represents 88.46 percent of the enrollees in schoolyear 2019-2020 and has exceeded the estimated 80 percent reduction in students entering school amid the pandemic and economic recession.
For public schools, there are 22,383,549 enrollees from kindergarten to Grade 12, which is 99.16 percent of the enrollment last year.
For private schools, enrollment was recorded at 2.1 million students or 49.5 percent lower than the 4.3 million enrollees in the previous school year.
Blended learning includes lessons derived online, from radio and TV and printed learning modules to be distributed to individual students.
Briones said the DepEd has already conducted 31,000 dry-ruwns of the various modes of learning.
Sen. Bong Go expressed support for the DepEd even as he asked its officials to ensure that students remain safe from COVID-19 under the new system of learning.
“I understand that the education of our students can also no longer be put on a standstill. And, considering that face-to-face classes will be pushed back until a vaccine is ready, we need to exert more effort in perfecting the digital educational system and we have to adapt in order to educate our students,” Go told the online hearing.
“Needless to say, much depends on DepEd and the other agencies in charge of the education sector in preparing our youth for the new normal and assuring them that, in spite of these changes, they will be equipped with the proper competencies to succeed in life. I am sure that this is our common objective,” he said.
Go also appealed to the DepEd not to “pressure our child learners,” like not giving them failing grades as much as possible, given the difficult situation they and their families face.
He also cited the DepEd for its efforts to address the mental health needs and concerns of students, their parents and teaching and non-teaching personnel.
“It cannot be denied that this pandemic has not only taken a toll on the body, but on the mind as well. And it is imperative that we also take psychological first aid into consideration in drafting our programs and policies for the upcoming school year,” Go said.
Sen. Sonny Angara asked Briones whether the DepEd has explored other methods to deliver learning modes that would make it easier for all concerned and ensure students learn much despite restrictions posed by the pandemic.
“We are not only looking at the possibilities, we already have TV programs. Every week we create more than 100 TV programs, radio programs because the blended approach is really a mix of online platform, television, radio and module.