The scheduled full implementation of face-to-face classes on Wednesday, Nov. 2, has displayed the depth and extent of the crisis on basic education resources in the country’s public school system, a group of education workers said.
“Every scenario screams of the government’s many years of neglect of education, and of the Marcos administration’s irresponsibility in ordering for 100 percent face-to-face classes without taking charge of the needed preparations,” the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) said.
After a three-month transition period, the Department of Education (DepED) has directed public schools to implement five days of in-person classes starting Nov. 2.
READ:
https://mb.com.ph/2022/11/02/first-day-of-return-to-full-face-to-face-classes-orderly-so-far-deped/
Private schools, on the other hand, were allowed to continue with the implementation of blended learning and full distance learning.
Citing reports from the ground, ACT said that the first day of the implementation of full face-to-face classes was marred by problems that stemmed from a lack of infrastructure --- among others.
“Every class held in a condemned/dilapidated/unfinished building, gymnasium, tent, or other makeshift classroom proves the government's failure to provide our students with safe and conducive learning environments,” ACT noted.
Many schools, the group added, were also “forced to implement class shifting exposes how appropriate and healthy learning schedule is being sacrificed due to the government’s incompetence in building sufficient schools and classrooms to accommodate the growing number of learners.”
ACT lamented that the government is “compromising safety and education quality” with its failure to employ enough teachers since the most class has more than 35 learners.
“Every school that did not implement 100 percent face-to-face classes due to an approved exemption or because of the damages caused by the latest and not-so-recent calamities proves beyond doubt the wretched state of our schools, reaching a dead end in finding ways to normalize school operations amid the problems,” the group explained.
ACT also noted that caught in the middle of these scenarios are the “hapless teachers, overworked and underpaid, who scurry to find solutions to every problem that hinder the conduct of classes, and who are convenient scapegoats for the poor quality of education.”
“Worse, at the heart of these are our Filipino children and youth who are deprived of their basic right to safe, accessible, equitable and quality education,” the group added.
For ACT, the government’s push for 100 percent face-to-face classes is a “failure” as long as there are learners and teachers who are forced to conduct classes in unsafe and unfavorable learning spaces, or schools have to resort to class shifting or overcrowding, while others have no more choice but to continue employing remote learning modalities.
“Our situation is unacceptable as our learners deserve better,” the group said, noting that the current government “cannot just hide behind the failures of the past administrations, denying the gravity of the problems and only providing band-aid solutions.”
ACT also urged the government to “do better” in finding and providing safe and conducive learning spaces for students.
“It should fast track the filling up of all vacant teaching and non-teaching positions,” the group said. “It should curb all hindrances to the speedy purchase of school furniture and learning and teaching resources,” it added.
Moreover, ACT urged the Marcos administration to roll out, at the soonest time, its plan for the rehabilitation of all school facilities damaged by calamities as well as a “bold plan for the massive construction of classrooms, purchase of basic education inputs, and hiring of sufficient number of teachers and education support personnel.”
