Filipino Education in the midst of Pandemic

Nazario P. Lumbang

The educational system worldwide has taken a huge toll from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. With the COVID-19 cases in the Philippines continued to rise, face-to-face classes wouldn’t be possible as it poses a great risk for the health of both the Filipino teachers and students.

Deped has shifted to distance learning where educational and learning procedure takes place even the teacher and the student are geographically separate. This is to comply with the directive of President Rodrigo Duterte on delaying face-to-face classes until a corona virus vaccine becomes available.

In distance learning, education is facilitated through the use of internet, television, radio, and printed materials or modules. This mode of learning will lessen the health threat posed by the COVID-19 for both students and teachers.

However, the concern in distance learning lies within the question whether the teachers can deliver a quality education which is safe and accessible to all.

It is also important to note that distance learning is not a hundred percent safe as the modular platform in this mode of learning requires the delivery of printed materials to the households of the students or through Local Government Officials. This delivery of printed materials in modular learning, although lesser than face-toface learning, still poses a health risk to the teachers, students and their families.

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The author is Master Teacher I at San Nicolas Elementary School