BBM wants limited blended learning

MANILA, — Ahead of students' return to faceto-face classes, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday asserted that blended learning can still be done in some areas given the litany of issues that might arise.

At a Cabinet meeting, Marcos was quoted as saying that the national government would be forced to continue carrying out blended learning if key concerns in the education sector, such as the supply of teachers and stable internet, are not addressed.

In a statement sent to reporters, Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said that the issue of whether DepEd should do away with blended learning beyond October was raised during the meeting, considering the challenges that the department is facing.

“All we have to do [is] identify the areas of blended learning so that we can focus. Prepare the devices and things they need that were not supplied to children during the pandemic,” Marcos said in mixed Filipino and English.

Marcos instructed Vice President Sara Duterte, also education chief, to come up with the necessary preparations and planning for the opening of face-toface classes and address the availability of classrooms and teachers.

DepEd Order 32 s. 2022 bans any form of “purely distance learning” and blended learning in any school beyond October 31, with the department adopting in its place a policy pushing for the full implementation of the fiveday in-person classes.

Duterte told the President that DepEd will prepare a plan on what to do beyond October 31, pointing to a recent survey that suggests the majority of students and parents favor in-person classes after nearly two years of blended learning.

Other issues mentioned by the president include internet connectivity and the surge in COVID-19 cases which he said could affect the implementation of inperson learning.

The chief executive also directed concerned agencies to rebuild and repair school buildings destroyed by Typhoon Odette last year.

“We continue with blended learning but only in very specific places. As much as possible, classes should really be face-toface,” Marcos also said.

Transport and commuter groups have also raised concern over the lack of transport supply on the roads to support the demands of students.

In an earlier interview aired over ABS-CBN News Channel, Alliance of Concerned Teachers secretary-general Raymond Basilio said that educators were largely disappointed with the term of former education secretary Leonor Briones.

He also pointed out that many students up to Grade 3 will be going back to on-site classes not knowing how to read and write.