Equipping Leaders in the New Normal in Education
Emerito C. Nicdao
Admittedly, no one has been prepared for this very unusual situation. Never would one dare to say “I have seen this before”. The peculiarity of the time with the attack of COVID 19 leaves almost everyone clueless. The education sector is one that is deeply affected where schools are struggling to deliver the kind of education students need. Teachers are still coping with the new ways of teaching lessons to learners who are at home. Compounding the problems is the slow internet connection and limited access to learning resources. Another equally important factor to consider is the preparation of education leaders in assisting teachers and schools. DepEd used to conduct series of trainings and seminars to supervisors and school heads during semestral breaks and summer time. The conduct used to be face to face and would require participants to come up with re-entry projects or application projects that demonstrate acquisition of the desired learnings from the trainings conducted.
In the new normal, trainings are done online. It was observed that these webinars run throughout the day and at times would last for three days. Considering the profile and the levels of the technology proficiency of the supervisors in the DepEd, the training arm of the department must revolutionize its training modalities to make the education leaders more responsive to the needs of the schools in terms of technical assistance. Though the Department of Education through the National Educator’s Academy of the Philippines (NEAP) conducted the Learning Delivery Modality Courses for the school heads and supervisors, the question of relevance strikes as the condition in schools remains volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous. It is on this context that immediate actions should be taken.
Moreover, the necessary competencies that must be demonstrated by education leaders cannot just be acquired through the kind of capacity building programs being given. The Department must take a more proactive role to partner with training institutions and may look at its existing policies on the qualification standards for critical positions.
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The author is Education Program Supervisor -1, MAPEH