SY 2021-22 opening
DON’T look now, but a leading member of the Philippine Senate wants to know if the Department of Education (DepEd) is ready for a prolonged distance learning scenario.
That’s why Senator Win Gatchalian filed Senate Resolution (SR) 739, which seeks to assess if our schools can deliver quality basic education for the next school year (SY).
Amid the still raging coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, SY 2021-2022 is set to open on Monday, September 13, in public and private schools across the country.
“Nais nating matiyak na handa ang DepEd na makapaghatid ng dekalidad na edukasyon habang nagpapatuloy ang pandemya,” according to the highly-articulate Gatchalian.
He added: “Dapat ay natuto na tayo mula sa karanasan natin ng nakaraang taon upang maiwasan ang mga naging problema sa pagpapatupad ng distance learning.”
Gatchalian made the remarks after the Commission on Audit (COA) flagged deficiencies for the implementation of the Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan (BE-LCP).
COA flagged the flawed, incomplete and delayed procurement, reproduction and delivery of self-learning modules (SLMs), the backbone of distance learning.
The non-availability of SLMs during the period in which they are supposed to be used deprives learners of better learning opportunities and hampers the continuity of the learning process.
Likewise, the filing of Gatchalian’s resolution must raise the cue for other stakeholders, particularly educators, to come up with ideas designed to improve distance learning.
It’s a move in the right direction.
