A federation of teachers is exasperated over the repeated pronouncements of Education Secretary Leonor that the resumption of classes this school year is a “victory” amid the ongoing health crisis and economic recession.
The Alliance of Concerned Teachers Philippines said Briones’ repeated declarations of a victorious school opening amid the COVID-19 pandemic is “tone-deaf and borderline delusional” while education frontliners and stakeholders continue to reel from the “poor state of education.”
ACT Secretary General Raymond Basilio is worried over Briones’ remarks, noting that it fails to “properly represent the current state of education” and “likely result” to bigger problems for students, teachers, and their parents.
Briones has reiterated a “victorious” school opening this school year almost a month after the classes in public schools started under a distance and blended learning setup.
School year 2020-2021 formally opened on Oct. 5 after two controversial postponements. With President Duterte forbidding the conduct of face-to-face classes until the vaccine on COVID-19 has been found, DepEd was forced to implement a distance and blended learning approach through the use of multiple learning delivery modalities, including printed and offline modular; online; and television or radio-based instruction.
A month after classes resumed, Briones, during the “Laging Handa” public briefing early this week, maintained that opening a new school year amid the continued threat of COVID-19 remains a “victory” for the DepEd and for the entire education sector.
“Is opening schools at this time really victorious? All of us have adjustments to make and the fact that we are able to continue is a victory in itself,” Briones said.