As it implements distance learning this upcoming school year, the Department of Education (DepEd) on Monday appealed to parents and other significant adults to be part of the solution to avoid the possibility of distance cheating.
Education officials led by DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones, during the virtual “Handang Isip, Handa Bukas” press conference, underscored the importance of the role of parents and other adults in preventing “cheating” while the students attend remote classes.
Due to the COVID-19 situation in the country, there is no face-to-face or in-person conduct of classes this School Year (SY) 2020-2021 in both public and private schools. To ensure learning continuity, schools were directed by DepEd to implement distance or blended learning through various alternative learning delivery modalities.
However, some concerns on honesty and assessment are being raised as children are forced to study inside their homes.
“Distance cheating has always been a challenge even before COVID,” Briones admitted. However, she noted there is a significant number of schools that “have worked out methodologies” in calculating grades and in assessing children’s performance, among others.
Briones added that teachers -- who have the experience -- would also be able to tell if a homework or a project is done by the parent or by the child. “They have methods that they have developed and in the DepEd, we have also developed these methods that they can use for assessment,” she added.
DepEd Undersecretary for Curriculum and Instruction Diosdado San Antonio said that assessment for students is being reviewed for this school year. “We’re dispensing the periodical exams in our proposed revised assessment of learning and we will do written outputs and performance tasks,” he explained.
Since learning will be remote, DepEd is enjoining teachers to talk to the students occasionally. “The conversation can focus on the learning activities that have been carried out with the child,” he added.
More than reviewing policies, San Antonio noted that the best way to prevent “distance cheating” is for the adults to be part of the solution. “This is the best time for us so we are appealing to the parents and grandparents and other significant adults to help DepEd to reinforce the value of honesty,” he said.
San Antonio noted that instilling values to children should not be a sole responsibility of DepEd. “Do not be a part of producing dishonest output because this will be very detrimental to our efforts in shaping good Filipinos,” he added.
While students are confined at home to study, San Antonio said that parents should use the home-based learning as an opportunity to teach the children values. “While we are also trying to find ways to make sure that distance cheating is avoided, the most important thing is for everyone to understand that more than having high grades, what the children learn is much more important,” he ended.