Confusion and bewilderment

By Modesto P. Sa-onoy

People are confused with different pronouncements from high officials of government as to whether there will be classes on August 24 or the statement of President Duterte that there will be none until cure to the COVID-19 is found.

On the other hand, the Philippine Star reported on May 24 that Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said it would be safe for classes to resume on August 24.

He said this despite President Rodrigo Duterte’s pronouncement last week that he would not want classes to resume until a vaccine for the coronavirus disease becomes available.

Adding to the bewilderment of the patents and teachers is the statement by presidential spokesman Harry Roque that class resumption is possible in August if the Philippines was under ‘new normal’.

Duque added that “We will study this even more but for now we think it’s safe to reopen classes by August 24. We just need to make sure that minimum standards for health are being met. These standards include physical distancing, frequent washing of the hands, and disinfecting classrooms.”

There is nothing much with those conditions; it can even be a normal procedure in schools even without the pandemic, except social distancing because if there is anything that we cannot stop, it is the kids being together. Social relationships and maturity are as much part of education as spelling.

The additional requirement, according to Secretary Duque is thermal scanning measures and making hand sanitizers and alcohol readily available. No brainer in that except additional cost.

On the other side, Roque also contradicted Duterte but explaining that President Duterte’s “no vaccine, no classes” pronouncement only holds for as long as the community quarantine is still in place. Well, Negros and many other provinces are no longer on quarantine unless that is again imposed. Will classes be open then?

He added, “I am advising all types of schools to prepare for the new normal. They will have to be creative,” although what is meant by “the new normal” is not entirely clear. Will it be what the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases previously said that strict measures under the general community quarantine will be the new normal?

How can the people live under a “new normal” when there are still “strict measures” as under the GCQ? Or is GCQ the “new normal”?

Is that the government’s definition of a new way of life in this country? I consider that an abnormality because they go against human nature.

Back to Roque’s pronouncements.  He said parents should enroll their children in schools as formal learning will start on Aug. 24 despite quarantine restrictions being implemented to contain the coronavirus pandemic. Roque added “students should enroll because they have to be assessed on whether they can be promoted to the next educational level. Enrolment will be on June 1.

“What is certain is by Aug. 24, formal learning will resume. What is uncertain is whether face-to-face classes would resume. That would really depend on whether we have achieved the new normal. But the Department of Education is now preparing for blended learning.

“Enrollment will proceed because whether it be face-to-face or blended… there has to be a basis for assessing whether or not after one year, your children will progress to the next level,” Roque said.

Roque also said schools may push through with their plan to start enrollment on Monday. I hope that by Monday children could come out of their isolation by then and go to school for enrolment.

Some private schools had already enrolled their students on-line and those enrolled had already received some lessons, but I do not know whether these are already part of their schooling or credited when classes resume.

“It will be easy to cancel (classes) depending on the situation… Even if there is blended learning, we need to have a basis for promoting students to the next grade,” Roque added.

The presidential spokesman is talking of public schools but what of private schools that already collected fees on enrolment? Will they get a refund, or will the money be just considered a “deposit”?

I hope that by Monday things are clearer. There is a call not only by the private schools, but by parents to resume classes. Or at least the government can make the conditions for opening clear and not leave the people guessing.