Opening of classes in Cebu may be delayed

CEBU CITY – Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate committee on basic education, arts, and culture, said the scheduled opening of classes in Cebu City on August 24 - using Self-learning Modules (SLM) as an alternative modality - might still be postponed.

He said because of the “very unpredictable” situation due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there could be a possibility that even the start of distance learning will be delayed.

Gatchalian, who recently visited Cebu City Hall to donate over P2 million worth of goods by his family, said the education sector has been considering the improvement of the Covid-19 situation in some localities in the country in deciding on the opening date of classes for the school year 2020-2021.

“May mga lugar na nag-improve ang situation. For example, in Regions 2 and 3, ang improvement nila ay napakabilis. In other words, doon sa mga lugar na low risk puede ituloy ang distance learning,” he said.

Although no face-to-face classes will be held, Gatchalian said the risk of exposing teachers or parents to the virus should also be taken into consideration as the new modality requires teachers to go house-to-house to deliver the learners’ modules. “Ngayon, of course, if an area will continue to have high infection rate, there is a possibility to postpone even the distance learning because we have to remember, yung SLM ide-deliver yan sa bahay ng bata or pick up ng magulang. Ngayon kung ang lugar talaga grabe yung infection even that pick up and delivery of SLM will become a problem,” he said.

He said if the situation worsens, “we will see in areas where distance learning is impossible, we will recommend postponing to a further date”.

Department of Education regional director Salustiano Jimenez said all school divisions are now readying for the August 24 opening of classes using SLMS as an alternative learning delivery modality to various types of students across the region.

Jimenez said they will do a trial run on SLM between the last week of July until the second week of August. (John Rey Saavedra)