Quality, relevance, and responsiveness are interconnected and inseparable terms in
education. Quality is said to be measured, to some extent, when the learners achieve the
knowledge, skills, and behaviors set out by the national curriculum. Those standards are
considered to be very basic conditions for active citizenship, employment, and social cohesion.
However, these standards do not meet all of society's and even parents' expectations when the
learners start to manifest their attitudes, express their public perception, and respond to real-life
situations. Learners must be adaptable, flexible, and able to continue learning well beyond the
school and college campus. For this reason, teachers should not only provide what they are
expected to but also delve more into what their learners are capable of doing and help them to
realize and develop their full potential. Education is expected to provide learners with more than
basic skills and competencies, but also the current issues to deal with and the experience to find
solutions to the challenges of real life.
Furthermore, relevance and responsiveness are two dimensions in achieving the quality
of education. The provision of appropriate and relevant learning to learners opens up
opportunities to meet their diverse needs, initiate realization of their purpose and potential, and
ensure their success. Teachers should not only provide knowledge where learners can relate, but
also conceptualize and develop programs and activities that are culturally, socially, and
practically relevant. Curriculum and programs, therefore, need to focus on developing the critical

capabilities of the learners, enabling them to know themselves and to think for themselves, so
they become active and confident learners.
On the other hand, responsiveness also plays a significant role in the quality of education.
This is more than just reacting to and meeting the needs of learners, teachers, and all those
involved in education. We also need to consider the sense of urgency and agility in every action
and service provided to make them responsive. In this fast-changing world, we must be
responsive not just to our actual needs but also to our possible needs in the future. Through
several studies or research conducted by various prominent individuals in education, we will see
what kind of future awaits us. This could help us save more resources, time, and effort that we
can use for other purposes.
In line with this, quality, responsiveness, and relevance cannot be achieved by teachers
and schools alone. The participation and collaboration of other stakeholders, such as local and
national governments, private sectors, well-off individuals, etc., are highly expected to make it
happen. Especially in this time of the pandemic, where many changes and challenges have
happened that greatly affect our educational system. This pandemic requires every learner to
have a gadget that they can utilize in their online classes or in communicating with their teachers.
Even teachers have experienced drastic changes that require their development as professionals.
They have been required to rethink how they teach when they engage students virtually. Many
trainings and seminars have been conducted to continuously help them grow and upskill
themselves in using various applications and platforms that can be utilized in teaching online or
making video lessons.

Even though the pandemic caught us all off guard, we must ensure that education
maintains its quality, relevance, and responsiveness. It's critical to recognize that education is a
long-term investment that will pay off for our society in the long run.
Reference:
http://www.education.gov.ck/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/QR-01-01-Quality-and-Relevance.pdf

By: Ma. Rhodora V. Herrera | Teacher I | Bataan National High School