As a solution to the challenges in the education sector and issues on education quality among Filipino learners, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) is eyeing to bring down the cost of its coronavirus disease (COVID-19) testing to pave the way for the gradual resumption of face-to-face classes.
PRC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Senator Richard Gordon on Friday, July 9, said that offering cheaper COVID-19 testing will help to slowly open up schools that have been shut down at the onset of the pandemic in March 2020.
“Due to a lack of vaccines in the Philippines, the only way to ensure that infection is testing,” Gordon said.
He added that “as soon as the Philhealth pays PRC the P480 million that is due, we can bring down the cost of testing to help our education sector and economy bounce back.”
Gordon pointed out that other countries are already vaccinating children 12 years of age. “We can do the same so our children can go back to school safely,” he explained. “If you are tested negative, follow health protocols,” he added.
Concerns on education status
Reacting to a study issued by the World Bank that the plight of the Filipino students is dire, Gordon said: “It is what it is.” He also lamented that “many children are being left behind as there is no clear plan.”
Filipino students, Gordon said, are further challenged with a serious lack of sufficient facilities, bullying, and a high incidence of hunger. “Hunger is further exacerbated since we are forced to stay at home,” he added.
The World Bank study entitled “Improving student learning outcomes and well-being in the Philippines: What are international assessments telling us?” found out that “more than 80 percent of children do not know what they should know.”
Other key findings of the said same study cited that “poor performance is deeply rooted in students’ limited proficiency in the languages in which schooling takes place” and an “unacceptably poor school climate, with high levels of bullying.”
The synthesis report included data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018 and Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and the Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM) - both in 2019.
Impact of COVID-19 on education
Gordon pointed out that the said study was done in 2018 “so it must be worse today.”
He noted that the lack of association and socialization that comes with face-to-face learning will gravely impact them. “Filipino children are seriously disadvantaged and will continue to be disenfranchised in a competitive world,” he added.
The PRC was the first to respond to the pandemic by vigorous testing, establishing multiple testing facilities, and introducing the cost-effective saliva test. To date, PRC has conducted over 3.4 million tests or 23 percent of the country’s total count.
“We should be self-reliant and cannot wait for the pandemic to abate,” Gordon said. “With new variants, the pandemic may not end anytime soon,” he added.
Gordon noted that the Philippine government should provide more public transportation to allow riders to physically distance, position bus stops every two blocks to ease congestion, and stagger work hours to prevent crowding.
“We should also consider coordinating with pharmaceutical firms to manufacture the vaccines in-country, or reverse-engineering the formulae so we can start creating our own,” he added.
Overall, Gordon noted that education must remain a priority even amidst a pandemic.
“We must prioritize them and their education because that's the ticket for the future,” he said. “Otherwise, we will miss the golden demographic sweet spot. No one must be left behind,” he added.
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https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/08/world-bank-philippines-issues-an-apology-for-inadvertent-release-of-education-report/