Albay Vice Gov. Grex Lagman understands the many difficulties that come with online classes, from the prohibitive cost of getting gadgets and a reliable internet connection to the challenges of conveying lessons remotely.
But it seems the Department of Education’s policy to hold classes through online sessions and modular instructions amid the pandemic are set in stone, Lagman said in a Facebook post.
He noted that there are many places in Albay that have been COVID 19 free since March.
He suggested allowing face to face, traditional classroom learning in these areas while still observing health protocols.
Officials must use a surgeon’s scalpel when it comes to education policies instead of employing a one size fits all approach, he said.
Broad policies may put learning capacities and potentials of school children at risk in the long-term, he further said.
There’s something to be said for old-school methods!
“School is out. Literally. And it’s not something to crow about.
Many Filipino parents are worried that the new teaching methods for elementary, middle school, junior and senior high school students in public schools may eventually prove to be detrimental to the learning capacities of their children.
Virtual/on-line classes and/or modular instruction are the DepEd’s seemingly cast in stone policies due to this pandemic.
However, there are a good number of Covid 19-free municipalities in Albay. These LGUs have registered zero number of cases since the nationwide lockdown was implemented on March 16. Perhaps in these localities, we can propose to revert back to the real-time, face-time traditional mode of learning instruction. It goes without saying that all health protocols will be strictly imposed if the same will be allowed.
My take is that we must use a “surgeon’s scalpel”, as it were, with regards to our education policies during this pandemic. If the DepEd invariably employs broad policies in modes of teaching and applies a “one-size-fits-all approach”, we might be putting learning capacities and potentials of school children at risk in the long-term.
#oldSchoolLearning,” Lagman posted.