No fail policy amid the pandemic 'not good' for students - DepEd

Instead of helping the students, the Department of Education (DepEd) warned that giving them passing grades at a time of pandemic would be more harmful for their overall growth and development.

Undersecretary for Curriculum and Instruction Diosdado San Antonio said that the DepEd was standing firm in its belief that giving all students passing grades will only weaken their motivation to strive harder in their studies.

Asked on the agency’s stand on the “No Fail Policy” proposals amid the COVID-19 pandemic, San Antonio told the Manila Bulletin that it remains the “same with what DepEd has articulated” during a recent hearing at the House of Representatives.

“Ipinarating namin ang aming paniniwala na kailangan pa rin may marka ang mga bata at hindi maganda, hindi makakatulong sa kagustuhan natin na maunawaan ng mga mag-aaral na ang pag-aaral ay kailangan ng effort at sineseryoso kaya ang paniniwala namin ay kailangan ng marka, numerical pa rin ang grading (We expressed our belief that children still need to be graded, it is not good and it will not help our students to understand that learning requires effort and seriousness so we believe it needs a mark , grading is still numerical),” San Antonio said in a separate radio interview.

He also explained that numerical grades are also needed by incoming high school and college students.

While DepEd supports efforts to relieve the reported stress and anxiety among students under the distance learning set-up, San Antonio said that this can be addressed using other means.

“Naniniwala kami na mas magkakaroon ng magandang motibasyon ang bata na mag-aral kung alam niya ang kanyang ginagawa ay minamarkahan ng maayos,” (We believe that the child will have better motivation to study if he knows what he is doing is marked well),” he said.

San Antonio maintained that the DepEd does not tolerate giving passing grades to those who do not invest in their education.

“Hindi pwede lahat at papasa (We cannot give passing grades to all),” he said. “Maski ayaw natin na babagsak pero kapag yung mismong bata ay siya na mismo ang nagpapakita na hindi siya kapasa-pasa, walang dahilan para siya ay ipasa kahit binigyan mo ng pagkakataon,” (We do not want to give failing grades but when the child himself shows that he does not deserve to pass, there is no reason for him to pass - even when they are given a chance,” he added.

During the first quarter, DepEd also received reports of misbehaving students. “May naire-report sa amin na binabastos ang teacher, hindi din maganda na ipapasa sila dahil may pandemya (We have received reports that some students are being rude to their teachers, it is also not good to give them passing grades because there is a pandemic),” he said. “Hindi makakatulong sa pagtuturo ng pagiging responsableng tao ang polisiya (The policy will not help in teaching them to responsible individuals),” he stressed.

To help students who are having difficulties in their studies, San Antonio said that schools and teachers were already directed to implement academic ease measures.