Teachers voice out concern over fear of getting COVID-19 while collecting students’ modules

Department of Education (DepEd) offered different learning modalities for students and parents to choose from, one among others is modular learning. In modular learning, teachers will be giving learning modules to students that are good for a week, and conduct monitoring via call or text messages. After a week, teachers will be collecting the modules and activities given.

Photo credit: whatalife.ph

However, some teachers have expressed concern over the resumption of classes through the modular learning system. One of the concerns is getting infected with the virus when their students submit their accomplished modules.

In an interview with a 57 yrs. old teacher, she said that she’s was worried that she might get the virus because she would be collecting around 300 worksheets from students weekly when classes start on August 24. She said she will be handling 6 sections, in each section are about 50 students. By the time she'll be collecting the modules she wonders how safe it is, maybe one of 300 modules is infected with the virus.

Education Undersecretary Diosdado San Antonio said teachers were not required to collect the modules themselves. Some schools have drop box system. Volunteers or community members will do the delivery and picking up of the modules. And if done by the school, they will follow all health safety protocols.

But aside from the fear of getting COVID-19, the teacher said that DepEd had yet to distribute the modules. 

Some teachers also said that copies of modules are not yet delivered for them to study before distributing it to the students. Also, some teachers made their own modules but didn't pass the quality assurance that DepEd wants.

However, San Antonio said teachers need not to wait for the modules to start creating activity sheets for their students. He added that they already distributed the most essential learning competencies needed.

Moreover, the teachers also aired their concerns regarding slow internet connection in some areas.

With this, San Antonio urged teachers with no internet connection to consider using their mobile phones to contact their students instead.

More pressing matters are arising as the school opening comes near such as problems with learners in far flung areas, phone signals are not available and some parents not having phones as well as electricity.