Various groups seek to postpone reopening of school on Aug. 24

Starting of classes for SY 2020-2021 begins on August 24. However, different groups have called for its rescheduling. They have urged the government to first organize complete set of measures that would ensure safe, accessible, and quality delivery of education for all students.

Photo credit: businessmirror.com.ph

Teachers’ group Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), health professionals from Coalition for People’s Right to Health, parents of rural children from Amihan, youth from the National Union of Students of the Philippines, and children’s rights advocates from Salinlahi considered the plan of reopening schools in August.

Each representative of the groups expressed their concerns regarding the implementation of its Basic Education-Learning Continuity Plan (BE-LCP) which is impractical and insensitive to the real situation of parents, students, and teachers that is aggravated by the pandemic. Their concerns point out that DepEd is unlikely prepared for the upcoming reopening of school.

The groups also shared their observations in the past four years especially in education Three days before President Dutete’s State-of-the-Nation Address (SoNA) on July 27. For them, the government's incompetence in carrying out their obligation is similar to neglecting millions of underprivileged students and education workers in the middle of the pandemic.

During a press conference via Zoom, representatives from each group expressed concern on what the school opening in August would be. Dr. Julie Caguiat, the Convenor of Coalition for People’s Right to Health and CURE COVID. She shared the current health situation, prospects, and readiness assessment for school opening.

“Education is communication and we appeal to DepEd to conduct a more realistic school opening plan by assessing first the various circumstances of parents, students, and teachers on the ground,” she said.

According to Caguiat, she is concerned with the minimum health standards that DepEd is issuing to be observed by public and private schools. “DepEd needs to see if these are being followed even before COVID because if not, how can we expect that these standards will be observed now that we are in the middle of a pandemic?” she said.

She even added that DepEd has failed to fully prepare for the reopening of schools aside from refusing to acknowledge lapses and shortages in terms of basic education resources that are needed. “It’s really difficult to start classes this August because DepEd’s overall response is delayed, inadequate, and slow,” she added.

Due to poor budget allocation and lack of sufficient funding for DepEd’s LCP, ACT Teachers partylist Rep. France Castro said school opening in August should be reconsidered. “With all the indications, we can say that the Duterte administration and the DepEd lacked foresight and I would recommend moving the school opening,” she said. “We’re not saying that education should stop, it should continue but it should not be framed under the K to 12 system,” she added.