COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the normal lives of people around the world. Streets now have less people and vehicles that once made them busy and bustling. Malls and other public places have less people in them, too. People have opted and been forced to stay at home to avoid catching the virus that has killed many - a virus that did not only kill people, but work opportunities, learning standards, travel, means of public transportation and generally, the things that made the world what it used to be.

One of the drastic changes that this pandemic has brought upon the world is how it forced government officials to cancel face to face classes. Even if a lot of people, especially students, called for an academic freeze which made it to the trending topics list of different social media platforms, the Philippines still chose to continue classes albeit online. Some schools also use a modular system wherein students receive modules to study and answer for a week then pass their outputs to their teachers at the end of the week.

While the intention of pushing for classes to continue despite the pandemic is good, several issues have surfaced. I believe, however, that going for an academic freeze would impede the learning opportunities of the students. Although the upper and the middle classes can wait longer for them to finish school, the lower class has lower chances of getting a degree if they wait for face-to-face classes to resume. Even so, I also believe that the online learning method is difficult to adapt to, especially when the students have other problems to deal with.

The main issue of this method of learning is access. The Philippines is one of the countries in Asia with the slowest yet the most expensive internet connection.  Well-off students can afford a fast internet connection, a study area, a clean desk, and a comfortable chair, but there are those who can barely afford a gadget. Parents have been forced to buy a stable internet connection source and/or stable devices for the classes of their children. Yet, a stable internet connection is not even an assurance that a student would not be disturbed while having online classes. A sudden power interruption or a gust of strong wind can disconnect you from your Google Meet session.

More importantly, it is most difficult for students whose parents are barely making ends meet. The pandemic did not only force schools to shift to online learning, but has caused massive layoffs as well. Workers have been dismissed to keep companies afloat. No person is spared from the economic effects of the pandemic. Worse, policies have been inconsistent and some detrimental while corruption allegations were brought into the limelight. Recently, issues regarding the procurement of the Pfizer vaccine and the failure to act of a top official made rounds. On top of this, national debt continues to balloon.

Amid all these problems, students are expected to learn and continue with their lessons either online or through modular learning. What this shift to online learning also exposes is the inequitable access to quality education.  Poverty has prevented children and adults who wish to obtain a degree get the quality education they would want for themselves. This issue during the pandemic is now even more significant because of the additional expenses brought about by online learning. As the first semester of college students end and as the first half of most school years of the elementary and high school students end, the problems encountered by not only students but of teachers as well should be noted by officials so that by early 2021, when classes resume, some of these problems will be given a solution.

For now, to conclude, it is not an exaggeration to say that online classes have been physically, financially, mentally, and emotionally demanding for students and teachers. Maybe, a two-way tolerance or leniency from both teachers and students should happen. Teachers must have the heart to be considerate and understanding when students are having a difficulty entering the session online, for example, and students must also be considerate when their teachers are also experiencing online problems. Furthermore, we may all be at home, but unfortunately, the problems we encounter are maybe too much for us to handle sometimes. In order for us to have a learning experience that does not compromise our well-being, we must mutually respect and be considerate toward others and care for each other’s well-being as well.