What’s the plan?
Believing that several issues under distance learning set-up will be addressed through in-person learning, a federation of teachers is urging the government to lay out a plan that would ensure safe resumption of face-to-face classes.
The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) on Monday, Feb. 8, called on the Duterte government as well as the Department of Education (DepEd) to “roll out a clear plan” on how safe and voluntary face-to-face classes can be implemented in low-risk areas for the rest of the school year and “effected in a significant part of the country by 2022.”
To ensure this, ACT is calling for the restoration of the slashed P13 billion in the basic education facilities funding for this year to construct and retrofit classrooms, and install necessary facilities in accordance to minimum health standards.
Basilio added that another P2 billion is needed to hire school nurses and purchase needed supplies for school safety.
“While the larger part of the country will have to remain under distance learning this year given the government’s failure to contain the pandemic and its snail-paced vaccination program, sufficient funding should be allotted for gadgets, internet connectivity, modules and other learning materials, and hiring of community tutors to teach learners most in need of adult guidance,” he said.
Furthermore, Basilio stressed that the sufficient budget should be allocated for health protection and benefits of teaching and non-teaching personnel who serve as education front liners amid the pandemic.
“The welfare of our education workers needs to be safeguarded as they serve as the backbone of learning continuity amid the pandemic,” he said. “If our teachers and employees got run down by the health and economic crisis due to lack of government support, the whole learning continuity program will collapse,” he added.