Briones laments as education sector is having a hard time due to country's shift to distance learning

Since the Department of Education (DepEd) decided to continue learning with its Basic Education - Learning Continuity Plan, the department has received constant criticisms. Education Secretary Leonor Briones said on Monday, the whole education sector is under very intense pressure as the country shifts to distance learning amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Learners were not the only ones under pressure, it is the same thing with the teachers, DepEd's officials and executives, they are also having hard time with the challenges of adjusting to the new normal caused by the virus, Briones said in an online press briefing, 

It’s not only dealing with the physical dangers of pandemic, it’s dealing with the psychological requirements. Then, you are surrounded by criticisms, you are surrounded by discouraging news. Whatever you try to do is hardly noticed at all and to keep on, that’s a huge challenge for education.The pressures are very, very intense as you can imagine,

When asked if what are the department's efforts to strengthen its mental health curriculum, the education chief said DepEd is engaging with professionals to help teachers as well as officials go through the challenging situation brought about by the pandemic. 

The department's focus used to be the learners especially when there's a disaster, they need to build up their capacity to deal and to accept the change. However, this time, DepEd also put additional emphasize on the upskilling of teachers as well as the policy makers, program coordinators and executives.

The pressure caused by Covid-19 pandemic affects everyone in the education sector. As the education secretary said, they are dealing with the sudden changes in education schedules, they're dealing with humans ranging from children to people on the their sector who are nearing retirement and the requirements to survive the pandemic.

It means that it needs a different way of teaching, different combinations of learning modalities, different skills that are needed. Same thing with the learners, they're having a challenging time with having to adjust to the idea of a different type of schooling.

For education administrators, Briones said they are under pressure to deliver and formulate plans and programs to address different needs of schools across the country. 

Broines also lamented on the pressures of the policy makers, the policy implementers, the ones who guide the directions. The constant criticism. The constant mockery and swearing.

You have to be very, very strong to be able to continue and to believe in what you are doing. It’s a very tremendous kind of pressure and the most difficult as far as in the policy making is the cruelty, the viciousness, which we have to deal with,

she said.