Learning facilitators to be assigned by DepEd to assist students without guides at home

Parents will play an active role this coming school year because of the new arrangement of teaching the students. This academic year adapts blended learning where most students will no longer have face-to-face learning but instead distance learning.

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With the said program, parents now will facilitate and guide their children through the modular lessons that would be sent to students undergoing remote learning.

However, this set-up appeared to be a big challenge to students who do not have anyone to facilitate learning at home.

Some concerns raised are, there are parents who does not know how to read and write. Not all parents are capable of guiding their children. But, the Department of Education (DepEd) has a solution for this.

According to a DepEd order dated July 21 sent to its Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) office,

"For learners without available learning facilitators at home, subject teachers or a cluster learning facilitator may conduct home visits following social distancing protocols."

The assigned learning facilitators may also communicate to students through text messages, phone calls, and other available forms of communication.

Home visitation will be done by teachers to check if the student was able to understand the given module but not all teachers will have to home visit, said DepEd.

The following teachers are exempted from home visitation:

• 60 years old and above
• those with immunodeficiency;
• those with existing illnesses, or other health risks;
• pregnant teachers;
• teachers who reside in high-risk areas.

" In which case, school officials like school heads, public schools district supervisors, education program supervisors and responsible community stakeholder may be assigned to attend to the organized clusters of learners, particularly in cases where assistance of a learning facilitator is much needed by the learners," the DepEd order read.

Education Undersecretary Diosdado San Antonio said the order sent to BARMM DepEd would be incorporated in the forthcoming policy for distance learning.

"Yes, until a DepEd order is released which will be more comprehensive. The essential features of what I signed are also covered in the order," San Antonio said.

Leonor Briones said that DepEd would launch the school opening, including the distance learning guidelines, on August 10. Briones reiterated that schools are ready for the class opening, citing simulations in different areas.