On October 5, we witnessed a historical milestone in Philippine education; the move to hold online classes finally commenced. While it is always exciting for all the firsts, holding of online classes also has its challenges that we should be prepared of. The list can go on but below should be the top considerations.
Availability of Internet – This should have been the priority if the government would like this modality successful. Internet should not be a challenge especially to far-flung areas but in the Philippines, it is otherwise. Internet has always been a struggle from infrastructure, speed and availability since the country has one of the higher rates in the Asia but ranks below average.
Availably of devices – To access the internet, there should be a device handy to both teachers and students, however, during a pandemic where there is massive layoff and unemployment through-out various sectors in the Philippines, this poses a challenge even to an average household.
Readiness of teachers and students – This is undeniable. Learning in the times of pandemic is hard and what it makes it harder is that both the teachers and learners should also learn how internet and gadgets are their tools in this learning type.
In a research study published in medrixiv.org, the challenges brought by online learning in a country like the Philippines is are multifactorial and interrelated so the government should act quickly and provide whatever the education system requires to avoid producing additional threats to the system.
A continuous reminder on physical distancing is good but we should also be reminded that education is a right and not a privilege so teachers and students should demand accountability to the government for it to be a success. If one of these, cannot be addressed, a long-term consequence may arise, and a wider scale of problems will pile up to our existing struggles. The barriers enumerated are expected to be resolved immediately by the government, however, these barriers are just a tip of the iceberg as COVID-19 is still there and a danger to our community.
What we don’t want is an unequal learning environment and the best time to campaign for this is now.
By: Lorena J. Manalaysay | Teacher III | BNHS
