While its recommendation for the Aug. 23 school opening continues to draw mixed reactions from stakeholders, an official of the Department of Education (DepEd) reminded that the country still has a lot of “catching up” to do when it comes to education.
DepEd Undersecretary for Curriculum and Instruction Diosdado San Antonio, in a DZBB interview on April 29, said that the agency has been making necessary adjustments in its policies to respond to the changes brought by coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
“Tayo ay naghahabol, alam naman natin na may issue ang ginagawa natin sa larangan ng edukasyon (We’re trying to catch up, we all know that what we’re doing are all related to education),” San Antonio said.
San Antonio pointed out that the Philippines has been getting low scores in international large-scale assessments.
In 2018, Filipino students showed poor performance in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), a computer-based test that measures the performance of 15-year-old students in math, science, and reading conducted by Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries.
The Philippines’ score of 353 in mathematics, 357 in science, and 340 in reading were all below the average of participating countries in the 2018 PISA.
In 2019, the result of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMMS) also showed that Grade 4 Filipino learners lag behind their counterparts from 57 countries with the lowest score of 297 in mathematics and 249 in science.
The Philippines also lagged behind other countries in the Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM) 2019 where fifth grade Filipino students who attained the minimum proficiency in reading, writing, and mathematics were much lower than Malaysia and Vietnam.
“Naniniwala ako na isa sa mga paraan para makahabol ay lahat tayo ay dapat maging willing magbigay ng kaunting sakrispisyo (I believe that one of the ways to catch up is that we should all be willing to make a little sacrifice),” San Antonio said.
San Antonio started his career at the department as a teacher, making him a “veteran” at the DepEd. He also served as a Regional Director before he was appointed as an Undersecretary under the term of Education Secretary Leonor Briones.
DepEd’s Aug. 23 school opening proposal received backlash from various quarters since it will shorten the usual two-month “summer break” of students into six weeks.
READ:
https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/28/depeds-bid-to-open-new-school-year-on-aug-23-draws-mixed-reactions-from-teachers-netizens/
Due to the adjustments in SY 2020-2021, classes started on October 5 and will end on July 10. For some, cutting the two-month break shorter and starting the new school year “too soon” is nothing but additional burden.
READ:
https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/28/added-burden-group-slams-deped-for-eyeing-shorter-break-for-students-amid-the-pandemic/
While recognizing the importance of taking a break, San Antonio also underscored the importance of learning continuity to make up for the lost months due to school closures brought by the public health situation in the country.
“Alam natin na ang high achievers, hindi yung mga palaging nagpapahinga (We know that high achievers are the ones who do not always rest),” San Antonio said.
“Ang mga matataas ang achievements sa buhay, kahit sa mga paaralan, ay ang mga mag-aaral na nagbibigay ng dagdag na effort para mas matutunan at maunawaan ang aralin (Those with high achievements in life, even in schools, are the students who put in the extra effort to learn and understand the lesson better),” he added.
While some may still have reservations on school opening at a time of a pandemic, San Antonio believed that there are parents and learners who value the importance of education continuity.
“May mga Pilipino naman, may mga pamilya na sumusuporta (There are Filipinos, there are families who support this),” San Antonio said - noting that there are even parents who enroll their children in extra online tutorials, especially those who can afford these services.
Of course, San Antonio recognizes that for the majority of Filipino students, “they have to rely on what is made available by the government.”
This is also why DepEd has been constantly monitoring the implementation of blended learning. To assist students and teachers who have difficulty in coping with the learning set-up, San Antonio assured that “academic ease measures” are also in place.
San Antonio, however, clarified that the Aug. 23 remains a proposal and the final decision still depends on President Duterte.
READ:
https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/29/deped-aug-23-school-opening-not-yet-final-decision-still-up-to-president-duterte/
If the Aug. 23 school opening pushes through, San Antonio said that the break of students may be two weeks shorter but they are expected to gain more.
“Sana ialay na investment ito para sa kabataang Pilipino, para makamit din ang kanilang mga pangarap (I hope we can offer this as an investment for the Filipino youth, especially to those who also want to achieve their dreams),” he ended.