Rappler Talk: How effective was the past year of distance learning?

School year 2020-2021, which used the distance learning system, officially came to a close on Saturday, July 10.

Due to the continuing coronavirus pandemic, schools in the country shifted to distance learning – a mix of online classes and printed learning modules – following President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive to suspend face-to-face classes until a COVID-19 vaccine becomes available.

Aside from an unprepared system for the shift, remote education also posed a major challenge for students who did not have anyone to facilitate learning at home, or whose parents were not capable of guiding them due to lack of knowledge. (READ: Parents bear the brunt of distance learning as classes shift online)

The pandemic highlighted the gaps in the Philippine education system which were evident in some erroneous learning modules distributed to students.

How was the implementation of remote education for the past school year? What lessons can be drawn from a year of distance learning? What can government do to improve its implementation since the pandemic continues to drag on?

On Friday, July 16, Rappler’s education reporter, Bonz Magsambol, talks to some of the country’s education stakeholders to discuss how the government could better respond to the “education crisis” the Philippines is experiencing. They are the following:

• Regina Sibal, lead convenor of Aral Pilipinas
• Benjo Basas, chairperson of the Teachers’ Dignity Coalition
• Cheska Avenido, senior high school graduate of a public school
• Adelaide Dolar, a parent and core leader of the Samahan ng Nagkakaisang Pamilya ng Pantawid in Batangas

Got questions? Tweet us @rapplerdotcom using #RapplerTalk. Tune in to this page or head over to Rappler’s social media accounts to watch the interview live on Friday, July 16, at 1 pm. – Rappler.com