Management under the New Normal
Rowena G. Aguipo
The day for school heads is characterized by extreme fragmentations, interruptions caused by needs, demands, and problems that come to the school head for resolution because no other organizational role is assigned to address them. In most schools, school heads are the primary managers of issues and concerns that arise from every source-parents and community members, teachers, and students. Reports and paperworks can sometimes delegatd to skilled staff, but often schools are understaffed and so the task of completing paperwork also falls on the school head. The newly pandemic that occurred and even the academe was severely affected and arises some questions : how to conduct classes?, how skeletal workforce will be assigned by the different department head?, how to control the spread of virus in delivering and retrieval of modules?.
Similarly, The Department of Education immediately responded to the crisis and put in place a set of protocols for adoption by school heads in the Philippine Archipelago. Among these measures adopted are physical distancing, mandatory wearing of face mask and face shield, mandatory temperature check, foot bath, placement of hand sanitizers at school entrance, frequent disinfection of frequently touched surfaces and even ball-pen were required to be bring by parents in signing the contact tracing form.
Among the measures, physical distancing has been recommended as a highly effective means of preventing the transmission of the virus. The World Health Organization recommends the distance of at least 1 meter from the next person while other health organizations even suggest up to 2 meters to further reduce the risk .
Thus , use of face mask are recommended as a means of control for persons that are symptomatic and asymptomatic, the use of face masks for teachers and parents are strictly enforced while in retrieval and delivering of modules. (Chua, 2021).Surveys were conducted and based on the survey , the use of modules prefer by the parents because of racketeering price of android mobile phone, laptop and even desktop computers. Some parents prefer the use of internet and modules.
According to the dictum , Education is the most powerful weapon against the virus of ignorance and poverty.
--oOo-
The author is Head Teacher IV at Sta. Cruz High Integrated School, Lubao,
Pampanga