Finding Answers Former Senator
Atty. Joey Lina It’s now exactly a year when in-person learning inside schools abruptly came to a halt starting in the National Capital Region and ultimately throughout the Philippines as the coronavirus pandemic raged. Plans for localized and limited face-to-face classes through a pilot testing scheme almost became reality last February, but President Duterte called it off again, citing his concern over the new COVID-19 variant and considering that the vaccine rollout had yet to start then. This coming August is the new target date, according to Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque who said the President does not want to put the lives of students and teachers in peril. “Sabi niya, may awa naman po ang Panginoon, baka naman po pagkatapos natin malunsad ang ating vaccination program, e pupuwede na tayong mag face to face sa Agusto lalong lalo na sa lugar na mababa ang COVID cases (He said that, with the mercy of God, we might be allowed to hold face-to-face classes possibly by August after the vaccine rollout, especially in places where there are low COVID cases),” Roque said. Of course, President Duterte can do as he pleases since he is empowered by existing laws to render decisions that are final. And his actions are deemed right especially if he feels that the health and safety of the citizenry would be at peril if in-person learning in schools resume without sufficient progress in vaccination. But many sectors are not giving up on the need for face-to-face classes, citing how vital it is for our country’s education system and the economy. "The negative effects of keeping schools closed have been documented extensively and include learning loss, dropouts, mental health, and socio-emotional aspects, teen pregnancy, among others," the UNICEF Philippines said as it recommended the conduct of pilot face-to-face classes in low-risk areas. "Given that the ongoing health crisis will only exacerbate inequalities, especially for the most vulnerable and marginalized who have limited access to the internet, digital technology, and other home-based support systems, it is crucial to facilitate the safe, progressive return to in-person schooling as soon as possible," the UN agency explained. The Senate, in its Resolution No. 668 calling for pilot testing of localized limited face-to-face classes, cited UNESCO data issued on March 31, 2020 which revealed that “the unexpected and unprecedented pandemic school closures affected a total of 28,451,212 learners from the pre-primary to the tertiary level in the country - 24,861,728 of whom are in basic education.” “Eleven months later, the data from UNESCO as of February 28, 2021 yield exactly the same number of affected learners in the Philippines considering that, globally, the number of affected learners has drastically decreased from around 1.47 billion to 208 million within the said eleven-month period,” the Senate said as it stressed “the prolonged pandemic school closures have adversely affected the learners’ education.” The UN Philippines resident coordinator Gustavo Gonzales also said that the cost of school closures is "now much higher from a social, health, and economic viewpoint" than allowing in-person learning. An October 2020 global study by Insights for Education cited by UNICEF Philippines showed there was "no association between school status and COVID-19 infection rates in the community" after tracking data in 191 countries on school closures and re-openings. The Philippine Business for Education, a non-profit group put up by top business organizations in the country, is also calling for reopening of schools in low-risk areas as it warned of the adverse effects of continued closure. “Our country is already in a learning crisis, and the longer we wait for our schools to open, the heavier the losses will be for our students and the economy. We appeal to the government to find ways to open schools safely so that our students can resume their learning,” PBEd Executive Director Love Basillote said. “Let’s be clear: We don’t want to endanger the lives of our teachers and students either. But if we can safely reopen the economy following health guidelines and protocols, what is preventing us from safely reopening our schools? We have around 3 million students who have dropped out of school this year because they cannot keep up with learning requirements. With no alternatives left, we are abandoning a generation of young people. This has a grave impact on national development,” Basillote said. The reasons on whether to resume face-to-face classes can be very compelling indeed. Discerning what path to take certainly needs great wisdom. And wisdom can also be found somewhere in the middle where education and public health are not compromised. E-mail: [email protected]