MANILA, Philippines — Amid the start of in-person classes in some areas, the Department of Education (DepEd) on Tuesday announced that it is crafting a “learning recovery plan” to address learning gaps caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“As more schools open their doors for physical learning, the Department is currently crafting a learning recovery program as part of our post-pandemic efforts,” DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones said in a statement.
“We have to ensure that our interventions are effective so that everyone can catch up and accelerate their learning,” she added.
In the same statement, DepEd Curriculum and Instruction Assistant Secretary Alma Torio explained that the recovery plan is rooted in learning remediation and intervention, professional development, health, safety, and wellness of the teachers and students.
“Kasama po diyan ‘yung (That includes) extending school calendar, expanding ng learning time, establishing learning support center[s] in schools and community-based learning spaces, conducting summer learning remediation and intervention programs, and hiring of additional learning support aides,” Torio explained.
Apart from this, Torio said DepEd will also intensify reading interventions, conduct regular home visits and follow-ups, implement physical and virtual study groups or buddy systems, establish literacy at home and in the community, hire parents or guardians teacher-volunteers, and develop appropriate assessment tasks and resources.
The agency is also studying physical and online learning action cell sessions, adaptive teaching strategies and classroom assessments, and the transition from the traditional approach to tailored acceleration for teachers ’professional development.
“Kasama rin po sa framework natin para sa safe na pagbabalik ng ating mga mag-aaral sa paaralan ay ‘yung probisyon sa health, safety, at wellness (Our framework for the safe return of our students to school also includes the provision on health, safety, and wellness). Under this concept, we would like to address learners’ socio-emotional and behavioral recovery,” Torio noted.
“We will strengthen the Oplan Kalusugan and focus on child protection/child online protection, and establishment of helplines/health lines,” she added.
The first part of the learning recovery plan, according to Torio, will be executed this summer, with the subsequent phases taking place over the next academic years.
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