By Hannah Torregoza
The Department of Education (DepEd) should include Physical Education (PE) among the classes to be offered under the agency’s proposed blended learning modalities for the “new normal” curriculum.
Senate Pia Cayetano
(Senate of the Philippines / MANILA BULLETIN)
Senator Pia Cayetano made the suggestion on Thursday as the Senate committee on basic education, arts and culture discussed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the country’s education system.
“Physical well-being is something we cannot simply set aside, especially in this time of COVID-19. We need to keep promoting physical education and regular exercise among our children,” Cayetano said.
Cayetano pointed out there are various media platforms—including television and Internet—that educators can use as tools to teach PE. Students, she said, need not leave their homes to exercise.
She said DepEd officials must come up with innovative ways to ensure that PE subjects will continue to be taught to students and tailored for different grade levels.
“Physical education does not have to take up too much space. Government channels can easily air these kinds of shows for students. There are many things that can be done,” the senator said.
“What matters is we do not disregard PE, and the need to teach our children the importance of taking care of their health while at home,” she added.
DepEd, for its part, told members of the Senate panel it is now in the process of coordinating with private sector partners in preparing downloadable videos that teach kids how to learn certain sports and other physical skills.
Tapping government-run channels, including PTV 4 and IBC 13, to air educational shows for children was among the recommendations that senators have recommended to the Executive department, following the President’s weekly reports to Congress.
Cayetano pointed to the need to secure the best content for students. “There are many materials out there. But just like textbooks, these need to be filtered,” she said.
“In fact, my suggestions were very detailed to the effect that you have time slots for different age groups: from preschool- to college-level programs,” she noted.
DepEd then, assured the panel that it is now finalizing specific strategies to make this proposal possible. This includes converting educational materials into scripts for TV- and radio-based instructions.