‘Rush to F2F for classes must consider transport gap’

THE Passenger Forum, a transport and commuter advocacy network, cautioned the government against rushing to resume face-to-face (F2F) classes, saying that the current transport crisis will prohibit the success of such an initiative.

Primo Morillo, the group’s convener, said the country’s metropolitan area “is not ready for a shift to face-to-face classes,” advising the Department of Education to (Deped) to delay its plans of resuming on-site education in September.

“While we understand that many sectors are already calling for a return to face-to-face classes, we are just saying that the government should be wary of the additional demand to our already heavilyburdened public transport system. This problem needs to be addressed for us to successfully phase back into normal classroom-based education,” he said.

To recall, Malacañang announced the phased transition of face-to-face classes starting September, after Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Zimmerman Duterte proposed a full on-site setup by November.

“The announcements from the Palace mean we have about two months to solve our public transport issues or at least provide some immediate relief to the plight of our commuters. One of the reasons why students and teachers want a shift to F2F is due to the stress they get from online classes,” Morillo said.

He added: “Their stress will just shift from in front of their laptops to our sidewalks and PUVS if we ignore the connection between the transport crisis and our target to return to F2F. Worse, physical fatigue will add to the mental exhaustion of our students and teachers.”

TPF and other transport groups have described the current state of the country’s transport sector as in a crisis. Transport workers have decided to stop plying their routes because of the skyrocketing fuel prices.

The Businessmirror sought the comment of Department of Transportation (DOTR) Secretary Jaime J. Bautista, but his counsel advised that the Cabinet official will reply today, Monday, after meeting with his undersecretaries.