Gatchalian: Survey results confirm urgent call for full in-person classes

EARLY SHIFTERS Some schools have decided earlier to resume in-person classes, like Chiang Kai Shek College in Tondo, Manila. The government wants to make it nationwide starting Nov. 2. —RICHARD A. REYES

MANILA, Philippines – Results of a Pulse Asia survey have confirmed the urgent call to hold full in-person classes, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said Thursday.

Gatchalian commissioned the survey that was conducted from June 24 to 27.

Results of the survey showed that 94 percent of the respondents preferred children returning to face-to-face or in-person classes for School Year 2022-2023, as opposed to a 2021 survey where only 44% of the respondents agreed on the resumption of in-person classes.

READ: Target: 100% in-person classes by November

Two percent disagreed with a return to full in-person classes, while 4 percent were undecided.

“Kung pakikinggan natin ang ating mga kababayan, makikita nating napakalakas ng panawagan para sa pagbabalik ng face-to-face classes. Hindi na natin maaari pang ipagpaliban ang pagbabalik ng ating mga kabataan sa paaralan at hindi na natin dapat hayaang mahuli ang sektor ng edukasyon mula sa pagbangon natin sa pandemya,” said Gatchalian in a statement.

(If we listen to our citizens, we will hear the loud call to bring back face-to-face classes. We should not put the return of the children to their schools aside. We should not let our education sector fall behind in recovering from the pandemic.)

According to Gatchalian, the survey results send a signal to the government that the resumption of classes should no longer be delayed after two years of struggling with the restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic as it may lead to an alarming learning loss.

Further, Gatchalian stressed the need to boost vaccination against COVID-19, as he urged the Department of Education (DepEd), in coordination with the Department of Health, to proactively facilitate the operation of a more intensive school-based vaccination program.

The DepEd has recently ordered all public and private basic education institutions in the country to shift to in-person classes by November 2.

READ: DepEd orders all schools to shift to face-to-face classes by November 2

The National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) has reported that school closures for a year cost about P10.8 trillion in future productivity and wage losses over the next 40 years. — Andy Hoo, INQUIRER.net trainee

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