DepEd stresses on the need of continuous communication to avoid burnout in blended learning

Department of Education (DepEd) emphasized the need for constant communication among students, parents and the educational sector to avoid parental burnout and stress from distance learning during this health crisis.

Photo credit: psychologytoday.com

The office of Education Secretary Leonor Briones has been receiving feedback from several parents and guardians who are guiding their children’s education at home.

I have been receiving feedback from parents themselves...This is also why the DepEd has been conducting webinars and other activities that will provide psychosocial support to parents and other adults,

Briones said.

Most parents that are complaining of burnout are enrolled in private schools, since public schools are yet to start classes on October 5, said DepEd Undersecretary and spokesperson Atty. Nepomuceno Malaluan.

Some private or non-DepEd schools have already started their classes, they are allowed to proceed provided they are strictly using only distance learning modalities and that there are no face-to-face classes.

Even before COVID-19, Malaluan said part of DepEd’s initiatives is to shift into digital-assisted learning. “But now we are forced to do it on a much bigger scale,” he said.

Burnout and stress may not be avoided since DepEd's distance learning are new to everyone. DepEd is trying to address mental health and psychosocial support needs of parents and other adults through webinars and several activities. The department said that nothing much that can be done at this time but to try to adjust.

This is not one-time, it’s not like having a single silver bullet (of) psychosocial (intervention) will already remove all the worries and the apprehensions and anxieties of all learners and students, 

So, what’s important is the constant communication that has to happen,

Malaluan said.

Malaluan pointed out that with the complexity of the current situation there’s no static formula that we can do that will solve everything.

DepEd knew that this school year will be filled with a lot of adjustments. However, there are ways to avoid burnout while trying to help children learn from home. 

And it should be done from a learning community approach,

Malaluan said.