Ready for opening of classes?

Education Secretary Leonor Briones has already announced that the school year 2020-2021 will be opened on August 24, 2020. This is the very announcement that students, teachers, and parents are all waiting. For the Department, before the pandemic, the opening of classes was scheduled to take place on June 1. For the tertiary level, Commission on Higher Education Chairman Prospero de Vera announced that with the higher educational institutions, they can start in June using virtual classrooms, or for those not yet ready by then can start their classes in September.

Prior to the Secretary's statement, there were a variety of dates or suggestions from various organizations. There is a recommendation from the University of the Philippines scientists to hold classes in December, considering that our young's age bracket is the most socially engaged group, defeating government initiatives to flatten the curve of the pandemic.

On the other hand, the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) was a little earlier, in September. And here comes the Department of Education, which is August. In view of the fact that the beginning of August is still within the framework of the provisions laid down in Republic Act No. 7977, the beginning of classes will be scheduled between the first Monday of June and the last day of August. This is also with the primary concern for the health and welfare of our students.

Much prior to the announcement, DepEd carried out a survey or nationwide consultations, among other issues, as to when respondents thought the date for the opening of classes. Several stakeholders responded to the survey. Not too many, however, considering that are still who opposed to the early start of classes.

However, given that we have more than two months to go, some crucial questions need to be addressed, all in line with the degree of planning.

Are we ready for the opening of classes this August? A question that does not need to be asked for the the answer is no. Considering that this is unprecedented, we are caught unaware with no templates to base from. Other specific questions are: Are our teachers have at least the minimum skills to deal with the new mode of delivery of instruction? Since students are not necessarily have to go to school, an arrangement must be made that even they are in their homes, learnings are taking place via online. Are our students and their parents have the necessary and appropriate technology and mindset for this relatively new method of lesson delivery? Generally, I think, parents have not embraced fully the idea of online instruction especially for the basic education. They believe that there is a great deal of student-teacher classroom interaction. The vicarious virtual experience cannot replace the genuine warmth of social and actual interaction. And this is what I believe so. But times have changed. And the time has come to be innovative and responsive to this challenging time.

I hope that the remaining months will be spent on training teachers in this technology-driven virtual classroom, preparing the school's physical facilities aimed at providing or updating the required digital infrastructure. Internet connectivity is a major challenge, particularly in our public education in far-flung areas. Students have no internet access at home either. This must also be paired with educating our parents and other stakeholders to embrace new or innovative ways of teaching our young people.