Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Tuesday said he cannot agree to claims of victory as teachers and students struggle with pursuing education due to the lack of Internet access in the country.
(MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts, and Culture, made the remark a day after classes officially opened on Monday with teachers and students trying to embrace distance learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We cannot claim complete victory because if you look at the standpoint of parents and teachers, the lack of Internet connectivity became the stumbling block,” Gatchalian said in an interview with ANC Headstart.
Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Leonor Briones said the Philippines is claiming “victory” against COVID-19 as it opened classes on Monday, Oct. 5, despite the ongoing pandemic.
Briones later clarified that her remark was aimed at groups advocating an academic freeze amid the COVID crisis.
Gatchalian, however, said he still commends DepEd for its utmost effort to open classes despite the big challenges facing the education sector.
“It’s a challenge. We’re looking at teaching 23 million students, equipping 900,000 teachers and non-teaching staff with the necessary tools to pursue class opening,” the senator said.
He said it is high-time for telecommunication companies to step up and improve their online connection services and make sure that Internet connectivity is available to all students and teachers.
“We have to use all tools available and I’m looking at the point of view of our parents and students. I’ve seen first hand that connectivity is a problem,” the lawmaker said.
“This is an eye-opener for us moving forward because if you want to step in into the new normal or the better normal, we have to improve connectivity,” he added.