The Taguig City government on Friday launched its "Tele-Aral Program" to assist students in blended learning amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
Mayor Lino Cayetano, in an interview with reporters, said this is part of the city's preparations to ensure learning continuity in the new normal as classes in public schools would begin on October 5.
"Kailangan ho tanggapin nating magiging kakaiba ho ang taon na ito. Hindi madali ito sa ating magagaling na teachers, sa mga opisyales ng Department of Education, sa mga magulang, sa mga estudyante (We have to accept that this would be a different school year. This is not easy for our good teachers, parents and students)," he said during the launch of the Tele-Aral Center at the Senator Renato "Compañero" Cayetano (SRCC) Memorial Science and Technology High School.
Cayetano said Taguig's Tele-aral Program is a carefully crafted curriculum and new learning system.
Under the Tele-Aral program, students could call teachers who have undergone training if they have any inquiries regarding modules. This is to ensure that the high quality of academic content is being given to all learners in the city.
Cayetano said around 500 teachers are being trained on enforcing health protocols so they could visit and cater to the needs of students in their homes.
The Tele-Aral Center at SRCC will be manned by teachers who have undergone training and enrichment courses from the Taguig Online Campus (TECTOC) as well as the training led by call center supervisors.
The center has 15 phone lines installed for students to call, 20 additional substitute and support staff, 50 iMac desktop computers with communication applications, and headsets which will allow the established workflow for modular learning students, computer-aided learning students, and online-learning students to operate efficiently.
"Through easy access to a broad body of knowledge, teachers, teaching personnel, and technology, Taguig City launches the Taguig Tele-Aral Program to highlight both quality education and importance of safety for teachers and students amidst the pandemic," Cayetano said.
Meanwhile, 144,000 students in the city have received packages, which include uniforms, shoes, books, face masks, flash drives, and even toys, so that they would not spend any money for their school needs.
This strategy is part of Taguig's whole-of-government approach and the need for all students to study whether inside or outside schools, he added.
Cayetano said students have started to set up study areas in their respective homes in preparation for the October 5 opening of classes.
The local government unit is also conducting a series of orientations with the parents of the students.
A parent's manual was also released to ensure that children studying at home get proper guidance.
Cayetano added that all students in Taguig would receive modules on a weekly basis for their online classes.
"Kahit ho walang internet, walang (computer), hawak ho nila 'yan. Kung mayroon naman silang internet o computer, puwede ho nila i-download 'yan pero ang importante ho (Even without internet or computer, they have that. If they have internet or computer, they can download that. What is important is that) no child is left behind," he said.