education in the Philippines

Senator urges PH gov’t to study US findings on face-to-face classes

Bonz Magsambol

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.

Senator urges PH gov’t to study US findings on face-to-face classes

DISINFECTION. A member of the Manila Health Department disinfects a classroom of M. Hizon Elementary School as a precautionary measure against the spread of COVID-19 and for the enrollment of students last year.

Photo by KD Madrilejos/Rappler

'If we're allowing the children to go outside of their houses, it's better for them to go to schools,' says Senator Sherwin Gatchalian

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Monday, February 8, urged the Department of Education (DepEd) and the government coronavirus task force to study the findings of the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on face-to-face classes.

Gatchalian, chair of the Senate basic education committee, said that while some schools in the US opened face-to-face classes, there was “little evidence” that they increased community transmission of COVID-19.

“If we’re allowing the children to go outside of their houses, it’s better for them to go to schools. It will be good for their welfare to be guided by their teachers and to mingle with their classmates,” Gatchalian said in Filipino.

In its report published in January, the CDC said that transmission rate in US states where face-to-face classes opened is “similar to areas where classes are entirely online.”

“CDC recommends that K-12 schools be the last settings to close after all other mitigation measures have been employed and the first to reopen when they can do so safely,” the report said.

Citing the recommendations of the CDC experts, Gatchalian said that face-to-face classes are possible if the risk of community transmission is reduced and health protocols are observed. These protocols include handwashing, frequent use of alcohol, the use of face masks, and physical distancing.

However, Rappler in its story in December 2020 found that not all schools in the country have the basic health facilities to allow for a safe return of students to schools.

For instance, only 28% of the 47,013 or 13,081 schools in the country have a clinic. Some 2,900 schools don’t even have basic handwashing facilities.

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Earlier this year, President Rodrigo Duterte recalled his order allowing limited in-person classes in some areas due to the emergence of the more-infectious COVID-19 variant.

Remote learning woes

Gatchalian said that resuming safe face-to-face classes will help address the challenges of the remote learning system, which include unstable internet connectivity and the lack of physical interaction with teachers and fellow students.

This is the not the first time Gatchalian called for the resumption of in-person classes. He was also among the senators who urged DepEd to consider resuming face-to-face classes. They were concerned that students are unable to retain much from the current modes of remote learning, especially those unable to take online classes.

A Rappler investigative story published on February 2 revealed that some students are paying someone else to do their classwork.

The issue of whether students are actually learning in a remote set-up is concerning as recent global assessments showed that Filipino students lagged behind other countries, especially their Southeast Asian counterparts in terms of academic performance. 

Senator urges PH gov’t to study US findings on face-to-face classes

Gatchalian also reiterated calls to prioritize teachers in the vaccination program since they are also frontliners in the education sector. – Rappler.com

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Bonz Magsambol

Bonz Magsambol covers the Philippine Senate for Rappler.