Atom Araullo Specials presents ‘Batch 2020’

In tomorrow’s episode, Atom Araullo explores schooling amid the pandemic in The Atom Araullo Specials: “Batch 2020,” 3:30 pm on GMA Network. With at least 20 million students enrolled for the school year 2020-2021, this will be one of the most unique, challenging, and historic school openings in our lifetime. Despite the Department of Education (DepEd) officially opening the school year last Oct. 5, one question remains: how ready are we for blended education?

The Atom Araullo Specials followed four individuals in their journey to meet the demands of education during the new normal. Atom meets Charlie, a 12-year-old student who collects crabs in the fish port in Navotas. Charlie is saving his meager earnings in the hopes of buying a cellphone for his online class.

Atom also meets Pam, a single mother of three who has now become a national teacher-broadcaster for DepEd. She now juggles her new role as a teacher-broadcaster and as a mother who needs to make sure that her children are coping with blended learning.

Atom then goes to the mountains of Rizal to meet volunteers who help children with illiterate parents. In the last leg of the documentary, Atom visits one of the most remote schools in General Nakar, Quezon. For the students here who live without electricity, how will education be delivered to them?

In the Philippines where the educational system favors those who “have” over those who “have-not,” how will students from the marginalized sectors survive this school year?