For the first time since the COVID-19 outbreak struck two years ago, millions of kids in the Philippines are back in primary and secondary schools.
On Monday, as kids returned to their classes in schools across the nation wearing masks and uniforms, they lined up for temperature checks.After two years of Zoom classes, sixth grader Sophie Macahilig said she was "eager" to visit her friends and professors at the Guevara Elementary School in Manila, which had closed its doors to students since March 2020.
According to the 11-year-old, "We used to have fun, and now I can have fun again."
One of the last nations in the world to restore full-time, in-person instruction is the Philippines, which has prompted worries that the prolonged shutdown of classrooms has exacerbated the nation's education crisis.The nation was among the worst affected in Southeast Asia by the pandemic, and former President Rodrigo Duterte imposed one of the longest coronavirus lockdowns and school closings ever. Due to concerns that it would spark new outbreaks, Duterte, whose six-year administration expired on June 30, had rejected requests for the reinstatement of in-person sessions.Long-term school closures spurred worries that Filipino children's reading rates, which were already at worrying levels before the outbreak, might get worse. According to a World Bank research conducted last year, nine out of ten Filipino children—who are too young to read and comprehend a simple tale by the time they are 10—suffer from "learning poverty."According to Vladimir Quetua, the national chair of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers in the Philippines, many students have lost their academic motivation and talents.
"In general, these two years have had a positive effect on educational quality. Some of our eighth-grade pupils lack basic writing and math skills. And many of our students have no interest at all in learning, he added."Take the correct steps"
The reopening of schools in the Philippines was applauded by UNICEF, the agency of the United Nations for children. Children's return to in-person instruction, according to UNICEF Philippines spokesman Niko Wieland, is a "wonderful start in the right direction."From the Philippine city of Makati, he told Al Jazeera that "face-to-face learning is vitally essential."
We are aware that frequent absences from class and a lack of attendance increase the dropout rate. Children are deprived of these fundamental opportunities to learn and interact with peers, especially during the formative years when social skills development is most important. Therefore, this is a day to rejoice.
Education officials said that only about 24,000 of the nation's public schools, or about 46%, would be able to resume regular in-person classes on Monday. The remaining schools would still use a combination of in-person and online instruction until November 2, when all public and private schools must reopen with all students present.During the transition period that ends on November 2, about 1,000 schools will be unable to completely switch to face-to-face instruction for a variety of reasons, including damage to school buildings brought on by a strong earthquake that occurred in the north last month, officials said.However, despite the return of in-person instruction, old issues continue. Large class numbers, antiquated teaching techniques, poverty, and a lack of basic amenities like latrines are a few of these.
In order to minimize overcrowding that could transform schools into new epicenters of coronavirus outbreaks, the Department of Education stated that some schools will have to split classrooms into up to three shifts per day due to classroom shortages, a long-standing issue.
At a news conference on Friday, Education Department spokesman Michael Poa stated, "We always maintain that our goal is maximum of two shifts only, but there would be locations that would have to resort to three shifts because they're highly overloaded."
The government has intensified its vaccination campaign in preparation for the reopening of classes and will continue to offer students free public transportation through the end of the academic year.
The government started providing cash assistance to students and parents on Saturday, which resulted in tumultuous scenes outside distribution centers.
29 people were hurt as thousands of people attempted to force their way through a high school's gate in the city of Zamboanga.
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