Delay in resumption of in-person classes a way of ‘abandoning’ youth

The Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) on Tuesday warned that the constant delay in the resumption of in-person classes was a way of “abandoning” a younger generation of Filipinos, saying it would also cause heavier losses for the country’s economy.

In a statement, the organization said around 3 million students had dropped out of school due to the difficulties brought about by distance learning, which may affect their chances of finding employment in the future.

“Our country is already in a learning crisis, and the longer we wait for our schools to open, the heavier the losses will be for our students and the economy. We appeal to the government to find ways to open schools safely so that our students can resume their learning,” Love Basillote, executive director of PBEd, said.

President Duterte on Monday thumbed down the Department of Education’s call to conduct a pilot implementation of in-person classes in areas classified as low-risk for COVID-19 transmission, adding that he did not want to endanger the lives of students while the government was yet to roll out its vaccination drive.

The pilot study was originally scheduled from Jan. 11 to 23, which was approved by Mr. Duterte himself in December. INQ