EDITORIAL - Will we be ready by then?
The government is hell-bent on implementing the return to face-to-face classes in all school levels by early November.
“Starting November 2, 2022, all public and private schools shall have transitioned to five days in-person classes. After the said date, no school shall be allowed to implement purely distance learning or blended learning except for those that are implementing Alternative Modes,” the order from the Department of Education reads.
Are we really ready for this?
There are several issues we have to address. One of which is the still-ongoing pandemic. COVID-19 numbers are rising again after posting lows. This is usually the trend after every few months. In four months there is no telling what the situation will be. We cannot have our children out there with higher risk of getting infected.
Another issue is the lack of classrooms. We still need over 200,000 to accommodate the country’s student population. Will the government be able to build all those in time?
A third issue is the rising prices of goods. While students who attended school online were spared the usual needs like bags, notebooks, uniforms, and other items, going back to school will mean buying those again and more. Are parents, many of whom are still recovering financially from the worst of the lockdowns, ready for this?
Still another issue is a possible lack in transportation. The rising prices of oil forced many of our jeepney drivers to dock their vehicles simply because they can no longer afford the fuel. Many in the school transport business who suffered the worst during the lockdowns have also decided to switch to other businesses.
The leading cause of the last two issues, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, isn’t likely to end soon.
Like we said, there is still time before November to address those issues. But while we have no control over what is happening in Europe there are some things we can do about the lack of classrooms and possible looming shortage of transportation.
The fact that DepEd want schools to reopen on November 2, All Souls’ Day, is going to complicate matters even more.
If they really plan to pursue this, all must be done to make sure we are ready by then.
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