Amid vaccination plans, government pressed on preparations for return to physical classes
MANILA, Philippines — The Duterte administration should include in its priorities the safe reopening of schools amid projected developments on vaccination for the coronavirus in the country, a senator said Wednesday.
Resuming in-person learning had been sought after months since classes were disrupted by the pandemic, but had been shelved by government amid the threat of the more infectious variant of the coronavirus despite its admission that the distance learning setup is far from ideal.
Before 2020 ended, officials approved a pilot run for holding physical classes, with education officials eyeing more than 1,000 schools as sites for the study. The plans for pilot in-person classes have been shelved.
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, who is Senate education committee chair, said Wednesday the government should have a plan for resuming in-person classes to prevent what he described as a "learning crisis" from worsening.
A business group pushing for education reforms has also been calling for a return to face-to-face classes.
"Now that vaccination in the country against the COVID-19 is nearing, we should also give priority for the safe return of students in schools where they would be guided well by their teachers and can interact with classmates," Gatchalian said in Filipino.
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DepEd's proposed protocols
DepEd had included in its proposal to the Cabinet in December the required health protocols that would be in place in schools once allowed to resume physical learning.
This include having to disinfect facilities on a regular basis, monitoring of symptoms and upgrading of clinics for better health services to students and faculty.
Classes will also see smaller sizes of around 15 to 20 students and will follow staggered schedules. To date, however, the agency has yet to say what its plans are for the resumption, especially with President Rodrigo Duterte disallowing minors as young as 10 from going out of their homes.
But calls for a safe return to schools are seen to continue, with difficulties under distance learning such as poor internet access, availability of gadgets and DepEd's admission that printed resources are costly, likely to remain.
As the second quarter of the present school year with 25 million students began, teachers' groups have warned too that many students are no longer showing up in online classes and turning in requirements.
The Alliance for Concerned Teachers in a January 29 briefing said the country "has not seen any sincerity from President Duterte to pursue education continuity amid the pandemic" with teachers yet to be included in the list of those prioritized to get the COVID-19 jabs, which the president had significantly pinned his hopes for in resuming physical learning.
"The problems of distance learning is taking a great toll on the very frontliners who try to keep education afloat despite the government abandoning ship," ACT said, stressing the need for a clear plan in returning to schools.
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