In order to formulate policies that would help improve education quality in the country, the Department of Education (DepEd) said that studies on distance learning delivery modalities amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic as well as the possible factors on why students fail academically are currently being conducted.
“Given the challenges we faced today and the evolution of technology, education is also drastically changing,” Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones said.
As part of DepEd’s education reforms, DepEd is currently finalizing the “updated version” of the K to 12 curriculum. DepEd plans to unveil the new version of the K to 12 program next year.
READ:
https://mb.com.ph/2021/12/29/deped-to-unveil-an-updated-version-of-k-to-12-program-in-2022/
“More than ever, our learners are more advanced due to the wide range of information and opportunities, so we need our curriculum to aggressively respond to these changes and help them prepare for their future,” Briones said.
Apart from the K to 12 curriculum review, DepEd Curriculum and Instruction Diosdado San Antonio said that the department has been conducting studies on the multiple distance learning delivery modalities during the time of COVID-19.
In addition, he noted that a study on the factors of academic failures among learners as a basis for policy recommendation is in the pipeline.
“Nagpapasimula na po ng study na na-assign sa amin ni Ma’am , tingnan ang mga factors na nagiging sanhi ng failures ng ating mga bata (We’re starting the study assigned to us by Ma'am which is to look at the factors that cause the failure of children),” San Antonio said.
The results of these studies, San Antonio said, can be used in the proposed expansion of blended learning and face-to-face classes.
Due to the threat of COVID-19, DepEd started to implement a distance learning set-up in School Year (SY) 2020-2021 which opened on Oct. 5, 2020.
Students in basic education learned their lessons at home through multiple distance learning delivery modalities such as printed or offline modular, online, TV or radio-based instruction or a combination of these modalities under blended learning.
The enhanced blended learning set-up continued when SY 2021-2022 opened on Sept. 13, 2021. After getting the approval of the President, DepEd finally started the pilot implementation of limited face-to-face classes in low risk areas. Only 120 schools - 100 public schools and 20 private schools - were allowed to participate in the pilot run.
DepEd wrapped up the pilot run this month and is eyeing the expansion of limited face-to-face classes to more schools starting January 2022.
Citing initial reports, DepEd noted some challenges encountered by learners such as limited time to accommodate all learning concerns, limited teaching and learning resources, unreadiness in face-to-face learning and multiple attention to both learners in face-to-face and modular delivery modalities.
Other challenges encountered by learners include difficulty to hear due to face mask and face shield, learning gaps in reading and writing, separation anxiety from their parents especially for Kinder and Grade 1 pupils and behavioral issues of the learners since they did not come to school for almost two years.