By Anthony A. Araos
countries for education.”
One of the recent developments that have a great implication in the educational system is on-line teaching. Since digital technology immensely affects the people’s aspirations for a better quality of life the plan of on-line teaching in public elementary and high schools has recently become the concern of educators.
By August 24- or the day of the opening of classes at public schools in the Philippines, face-to-face instruction mode in classrooms is reportedly to be replaced by on-line teaching. This is a move aimed to further fight and contain the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at learning institutions- privately or government-owned.
Department of Education (DepEd) officials believe this is a win-win solution to the problem. The problem of congested classrooms in public schools is still prevalent. Despite DepEd pronouncements each year that the government is addressing this longstanding problem, trouble looms. Imagine 60 to 80 students cramped in a classroom. Overcrowding is the contradiction of “social distancing.” You place young learners inside a classroom, not a bunch of sardines. I’m sure some right-thinking Ifugao folks felt as I did.
The DepEd is working out a system to remedy the problem of COVID-19 explosion in the education sector. In working such a system I hope Education Secretary Leonor Briones and other top officials will not overlook the fact that most public school pupils and students have no access to laptops and computers. Most of them are poor. Their parents are in no position to buy laptops or computers- much less than a half cavan of rice. This is precisely the reason why they enrolled in a public school.
So it’s extremely difficult to say that it is practical to adopt on-line teaching at this point of time in the nation’s public schools. Digital information and social media are the exclusive domains of rich Filipinos. On-line teaching may be good for affluent Filipinos but its damn bad for poverty-stricken Filipinos. The plan is obviously anti-poor and anti-people.
Conditions are just as appalling in far-flung and underserved barangays because the absence of laptops and computers is bright as daylight. Wifi connection is another major problem. There are obvious risks if you don’t have a PC and laptop and a fast and sturdy Internet connection.
Only pupils and students of privately-operated primary and secondary schools have access to laptops and computers. The problem on gross income inequality of the people best explains this alarming fact of life. The damage to the mode of instruction in public school system would be irreparable should the DepEd fail to rescind this on-line teaching plan. It is not too late in the day to shelve this plan to supplant its deleterious effect on poor students.
The teacher has to efficiently and effectively communicate ideas and thoughts to the young inside the classroom. Communicating is important because learning to express what we see and feel is the key to a harmonious existence. Many mistakes are being committed because of failure to express ideas correctly. What is the education department trying to achieve with this plan? The DepEd was determined to survive- on its terms. But to do just that it has to be realistic. It has to first seek increased budgetary allocation to buy more computers for public schools. Truth to tell, the DepEd budget is still scandalously and unconscionably low compared to budgets allotted by other Southeast Asian countries.
Yes, clearly the problem lies in the budget. Over the years, there was no need for public schools to ask for donations of paint and even paint brush from the private sector for the annual Brigada Eskwela if adequate funds were available. Looking at the broader picture, the impeding failure of this plan shall only compound the deteriorating conditions of public schools. Given this scenario, hardworking but underpaid public school teachers hardly knew what to do next.
Pupils and students must read and write and be challenged in their thinking. This is the time when they must accumulate the great stock of knowledge upon which the rest of their lives will be built. I’m not against the practice of on-line teaching per se. And lest I’ve be accused of downplaying other pitfalls in our world of pitfalls, it can’t be done on a landscape where students’ reading and writing skills are critically low. You can’t ignore the fact that most of them are not even computer literate. I also found it quite unusual too, that many teachers are in the same predicament. Sadly, they are ill-equipped to navigate the digital highway. Who has the undue advantage? What I’m contesting is the fact that the level of the playing field is highly tilted on the side of private schools. On-line teaching is actually giving academic credit for students who have access to digital technology. So critical is the access to digital devices because failure to upload an assignment on time, the poor Filipino student shall pay a price for it.
Youth is the time of preparation rather than participation. Young Filipinos are being educated on the high-tech thrust of information technology to help elevate them to positions where they deserve to be.
“Be active,” “engaged” and “relevant.” This should be attitude of students, teachers and DepEd officials to improve the quality of education in the country. In particular, leaders of the education sector should work hard to be attuned to the needs of the people now so that they might be extraordinarily relevant when the COVID-19 nightmare is finally over. Today, they feel torn between being “irrelevant” and “relevant.” They should redefine their philosophy, goals and objectives. If they want to produce students who are computer proficient, then, their present policy and curricular plan should faithfully translate the objective of the so-called “Education for All” mantra. So in the long run the objective of improving the conditions of poor Filipinos can be realistically achieved.
In preparing next year’s General Appropriations Act or the national budget, Congress should not take lightly the role of the young in Philippine society. Uppermost in my mind is the fact the youth aged 18 to 35 comprise 46 percent of the voting population, the largest voting bloc in the country. Exercising their right to suffrage is part of learning thus, making their government work right. In short, they have the power to elect and change the nation’s leaders.
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I fully agree with the views of my fellow columnist Estanislao Albano on the government’s mishandling of the COVID-19 situation. Please read his commentary on the May 24, 2020 issue of ZigZag Weekly. He is presenting the facts and letting the reader decide. Keep up the great work!
What is the difference between the propagandists of the Chinese government and the sycophants of the Philippine government on handling the COVID-19 crisis? Answer: The former imposed a “news blackout” so as not to incur the ire of the powers-that-be. The latter covered up the failure to immediately impose a travel ban on China so as not to cause irritants on Sino-Philippines ties. Where can you find a Filipino official who acted responsibly during the time when many demanded a travel ban on China? Answer: In the cemetery!
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Trekkers and hikers share the same passion for adventures in far-away places. They are untiring guys and gals who are accorded with a vast terrain of natural wonders to explore. There are mountain highs and forests to scale and roam. There are also vast green fields filled with various agricultural products.
Rice paddies, rice terraces, mountains and volcanoes easily attract trekkers and hikers- local and foreign.
Mt. Pulag is a favorite trekking destination in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) because of the breathtaking view of the sunrise amid a sea of clouds at the peak. The mountain straddles the provinces of Benguet, Ifugao and Nueva Vizcaya.
There are other trekking destinations in Ifugao, notably in Asipulo, Banaue, Hungduan, Kiangan, Mayoyao and Tinoc. For instance, a mountain in Mayoyao is truly a standout. It is a great place to be mesmerized by the spectacular sight of a sea of fog in the morning. There is also a mountain in Asipulo known for trees used as dwelling places for fireflies. According to a legend, only enchanted trees are visited by fireflies. Also, these sites are excellent for photography, meditation and exercises.
Advice to trekkers and hikers: Be extra careful at all times. Be mindful of landslides. mudslides and the likes. Forego your plans if inclement weather conditions are prevailing in the area. Or there is a volcanic activity. The Philippines is located in the seismically active Pacific “Ring of Fire” and has over 20 active volcanoes.
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What is the government doing to prepare farmers to be globally competitive? The answer largely lies in all efforts to a well-meaning mechanization program for the agriculture sector. Be that as it may, funds are needed to provide farmers cooperatives and associations with farm machines in order to increase yield, productivity and income.
Nonetheless, the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) has done an excellent job in training farmers to become rice mechanization specialists. A training course allows farmers to learn how to operate and maintain machines thus, allowing them to have a steady source of income as well as an outlet for productive and creative energies. PhilMech’s name is now synonymous with success.
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For our food delights corner: Have a wonderful time with kare-kare with oxtail and a generous toast of vegetables, mushroom and squash omelet and steamed rice. For a change, add chicharon (pork rind) as a side dish. For appetizers and dessert: cassava cake, mangoes and chilled black gulaman juice. Put premium, too, on eating and praying before meals with the family or loved ones. These are the most important things in life!**
