Gatchalian to recommend postponement of class opening if DepEd not ready by July 15

FILE – Senator Win Gatchalian in a hybrid hearing led by the Committee on Local Government on Friday, June 19, 2020. (Albert Calvelo/Senate PRIB)

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Friday said he would recommend the deferment of the August 24 class opening for up to a month should the Department of Education (DepEd) fail to attain at least 80-percent readiness by July 15.

“If ever, by July 15, makikita natin na talagang kulang pa rin yung trainings, mga gamit, then we will recommend to move school opening after August 24,” Gatchalian told reporters in an online media interview.

(If ever, by July 15, we see that the training and learning materials are still lacking, then we will recommend to move school opening after August 24).

Gatchalian chairs the Senate basic education committee, which has been conducting a series of hearings on the country’s preparedness to shift to distance learning amid the pandemic.

DepEd has been preparing for blended learning, which is a combination of online distance learning and in-person delivery of learning materials to the homes of the learners, for the reopening of classes on August 24.

Teaching with the use of radio and television will also be done for students who do not have access to a computer or the internet.

But during Thursday’s Senate hearing, it was bared that the majority of public school teachers are still untrained for ICT-based teaching, self-learning modules have yet to be printed and that Deped has yet to make out which students have access to the internet, televisions and radios.

“These are ongoing concerns. ‘Yung assessment date is July 15. Because by July 15, dito rin na ilalabas yung TV and radio programs; and at the same time, magkakaroon din ng dry run ng distance learning,” Gatchalian went on.

(These are ongoing concerns. Our assessment date would be on July 15. Because by July 15, the TV and radio programs that would be used for blended learning would be out, and then a dry run would be implemented by that time).

“So more or less that would be the date to recommend what will be the next steps if ever preparations are still lacking,” he added.

He said he would base his assessment on whether or not DepEd would have all of its teachers trained, prepared all of the self-learning modules for students with no internet access, and have implemented a mapping system to determine which learners have the capacity to participate in online learning.

“If we analyze and assess that they are not ready, then we will recommend to postpone it (class opening) by one month or a few days or weeks,” Gatchalian said.

He then pointed to a proposed measure, which now only needs the President’s signature before becoming law, that would give the DepEd the flexibility to move the opening of classes beyond August.

“Una kasi nakapako yan sa last day of August e. Since now we have that law and flexible na.”

(We were bound by law that the school year should not open later than the last day of August. Since now we have that law, we can be flexible).

“We can actually recommend to DepEd to move it a bit to make sure that they are ready, that our teachers are ready because ang teachers natin ang gagalaw dito on the ground (our teachers are the ones on the ground),” he added.

Nevertheless, Gatchalian still acknowledged DepEd’s efforts to ensure that the country would be ready to adapt to new modalities of learning. But he stressed the need for the agency to fast-track its preparations.

“DepEd is doing its very best para ma-achieve natin yung school opening ng August 24. Nakita naman natin na gumagalaw. Pero we have to be realistic, dahil nga ang DepEd ay napakalaki at marami tayong mga estudyanteng aabutin,” he said.

(DepEd is doing its very best to achieve the school opening on August 24. We see that they are moving. But we have to be realistic because DepEd needs to cover a lot of students).

“I am not going to recommend to continue to August 24 kung kulang yung self-learning modules, kung yung mga teachers natin hindi ready. Dahil kung hindi tayo ready, walang matututunan yung bata,” he added.

(I am not going to recommend continuing on August 24 if the self-learning modules are still not ready, if our teachers are still not prepared. Because if we are not ready, the student will not learn anything).

Meanwhile, Gatchalian raised concerns over the capacity of students to access the internet. He said he is “not very optimistic” that most learners have internet connectivity.

“Hindi ako masyadong optimistic dyan dahil alam naman natin na even in Metro Manila, may mga batang walang internet connectivity. So I’m not very optimistic na karamihan may internet, tingin ko wala, so talagang pupunta tayo sa tinatawag nating self-learning modules,” the senator said.

(I’m not that optimistic because we all know that even in Metro Manila, there are a lot of kids who do not have internet access. So I’m not very optimistic that the majority of the students have access to the internet, so we would resort to giving them self-learning modules instead).

He also said it would also be “impossible” for the government to afford giving all teachers laptops for online teaching.

“Alam ko for a fact yung mga teachers sarili nilang gamit yung lahat. Marami sa mga teachers…nagtatrabaho gamit yung sarili nilang laptop, sariling load at marami talaga sariling kusa. I admire our teachers,” the lawmaker said.

(I know for a fact that our teachers are using their own equipment. A lot of the teachers are using their own laptops, are paying for their internet subscription, a lot of them are doing it in their own capacity. I admire our teachers).

“So it’s really up to the government to support them. Ako nakita ko yung laptop bibigyan tig-isa hindi kakayanin yan. Knowing our budget limitations, hindi kakayanin yan,” he added.

(So it’s really up to the government to support them. From what I see, if we give laptops to all teachers, we would not be able to afford that. Knowing our budget limitations, that would not be possible).

DepEd could instead grant internet allowances to teachers and convert schools to Wifi hubs, according to Gatchalian.

The senator, meanwhile, maintained that it was best to postpone face-to-face classes even if other Southeast Asian countries have supposedly already allowed them.

“I would err on the side of caution. Parents are very emotional when it comes to school opening and that’s why we want to make sure that parents are comfortable also,” he said.

“Pag nakikita nilang tumataas ang cases ang instict ay wag palabasin ang ang bata (If they see the number of cases rising, their instinct would tell them not to allow their children outside). It’s better to err on the side of caution so that our parents would be comfortable in sending their kids to school,” he added.