2020 Highlights of Events in Education (Part VIII)

By Dr. Rex Casiple

 

In October 2020, the whole country was celebrating the 31^st National Statistics Month (NSM). The theme of the 31^st NSM Celebration was “Bridging Digital Gaps: Making Information Available to All”.

The theme recognized the importance of digitalization but emphasized the need to address the social inequality in terms of access and use of information and communications technology (ICT).

The highlights of activities included the Virtual Opening Ceremony, Statistical Infomercial Contest, Statistical Page Contest, Statistical Infographics Contest, Webinars of National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) and Philippine Statistical Association, Inc. Region VI Chapter (PSAI6), and Virtual Closing Ceremony.

In the opening of classes for school year (SY) 2020-2021 around 22.2 million nationwide had enrolled in basic education, mostly in public elementary and secondary schools. The Department of Education (DepEd) implemented a distance learning approach or a learning delivery mode where interaction took place between the teacher and the students who are geographically remote from each other during instruction. Survey showed that 7.2 million enrollees preferred to use modular distance learning, TV and Radio based instructions and other modalities.

On the other hand, most of the parents preferred the modular learning system while others preferred blended or a combination of two or more modalities, online learning, educational TV and radio-based instruction. Modular teaching was noted as an effective teaching-learning process in basic education during this pandemic. In this teaching approach, students learn at their pace. There were no changes in the subject areas to be taught. Students’ learning progress was assessed through summative exercises and performance tasks. Some teachers were the ones developing the modules in addition to their teaching assignments.

The common interruption in distance-learning mode was poor internet connectivity. Hence, the DepEd provided students with printed module materials. Under the pandemic modular learning system, students were provided sets of self-learning materials (SLMs) for the academic year. These SLMs were distributed to parents and guardians.

Parents and guardians were complaining doing the task of teaching their children. Many confessed that it was difficult for them to encourage their children in answering modules. Many were teaching subjects they were not familiar with and many were not prepared to teach subjects stipulated in the module of their children.  Hence, we cannot deny the fact that the quality of education earned by the students under the non-qualified parent-teacher during this time of pandemic suffered temporarily.

Quality education is for all. Teachers were more creative in teaching their students in modular scheme. They were lenient in dealing with their students instead of intimidating them with requirements, like having electronic gadgets which students cannot afford to buy. School administrators were also lenient by not requiring students with overloaded curriculum or requirements to comply.

Student suicide was a serious problem in this pandemic period. Records showed that in the province of Iloilo, there were around 79 suicide cases from January to September 2020. Many who committed suicide were youths under mental stress, mental disorder, or depression. Extreme vulnerability to depression and emotional breakdowns were most of the reasons why youths or students committed suicide. A 19-year-old high school student in Albay province hanged himself inside a small hut after worrying his family would not be able to afford electronic equipment required for him to study online in this time of pandemic.

(To be continued)