Can Filipino Learners Thrive Despite Barriers?

Armie D. David

The Pearl of the Orient, including the other nations around the globe, has been suffering from the consequences of the pandemic. Many facets of our living have been metamorphosed by the virus--- the downfall of our economy, the bread and butter of our fellow countrymen, and even our educational system. Things have been drastically changing and the higher-ups have been thinking of myriad ways to address these dilemmas.

Parents and teachers have been clamoring as to what will happen this near-approaching academic year. If not because of the pandemic, schools might have conducted the annual Brigada Eskwela and are now preparing for the opening of classes. However, difficult circumstances are being considered by the policymakers. No one wants an outbreak if classes will be pushed through even if there is still no hint of any vaccine that might defeat the virus.

During the quarantine period, different platforms have been encouraged by the Department of Education (DepEd) for continuous learning and training like the DepEd Commons, Zoom, Google Classroom, and Google Meet. These modalities are done to deliver learning and training among learners and teachers despite the hindrances. While these things are foreseen as temporary answers to our questions, access to the technology and the Internet, especially in far-flung areas, still remain as a challenge. This is true especially among the learners in the public school system. Most of them do not have Internet connection at home, let alone gadgets that they can use in aiding their learning. Since this is the real situation in the Philippines, DepEd proposed a portmanteau of learning modalities using the Blended Learning approach.

In Blended Learning, students are allowed to study at their own pace using modules that are developed by the Alternative Learning System (ALS) with the collaboration of ICT4ALS. Still, this is not an easy feat. Other factors such as home environment, attitudes of learners towards home learning, and technological competence may affect learner outcomes. Also, this approach requires parental support. Therefore, parents must be open-minded in this change in the way their children learn.

The role of the local government units is crucial in this new world we are in. No one is unsure of the future that we will have, and the kind of learners that the new normal will produce; but, in this time of crisis, we still need to provide our Filipino learners the kind of education that they deserve, and bring stability in these trying times.

--oOo-

III at San Agustin Integrated School Annex, City of San Fernando,

Pampanga.

The author is Teacher