June 9, 2021
By Geo Niko Villarta
SPEED TEST. The Philippine internet speed for broadband has increased with 13.39 Mbps since July 2020.
The Department of Education (DepEd) proposed to begin the next school year on August 23, 2021, as the current one is set to end on July 10 which has garnered negative feedback from Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Partylist and students.
The proposal garnered different views and reactions from the public.
“Ito ay kulang ng ilang araw sa prescribed na araw ng bakasyon ng ating mga teachers,” said Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Partylist Secretary-General Raymond Basilio in an interview with Teleradyo.
(This is not enough with regards to the prescribed number of days for the vacation of our teachers.)
“Hindi pa nga tapos ‘yong usapin ng overtime pay ng ating mga teachers ay mayroon nanamang usapin na maka-cut-short yung bakasyon ng ating mga teachers,” he added.
(The issue of overtime pay for teachers is not even settled yet and now we have this other issue at hand.)
Jane Yap, a Grade 11 student said, “Nakakadismaya. Kulang na kulang ito. Ang dami na ngang nahihirapan sa ganitong sistema at ang bakasyon na lang yung hinihintay ng mga estudyante upang magkaroon ng mahabang pahinga sa nakaka-stress na sitwasyon, babawasan pa?”
(I felt dismayed. It’s really not enough. Many are not doing well in this situation and this is what the students are waiting for, to have a long rest in this stressful situation, and yet they’ll still cut it short?)
“Nakakalungkot isipin na hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa rin nila pinapakinggan ang mga kabataan,” Althea Yangat, a Grade 10 student remarked.
(It’s saddening that up until now, they are not listening to the youth.)
“Para sa'kin, hindi sapat ang 45 na araw na bakasyon dahil sobrang nakaka-drain ang online class. Ito'y talagang nakasisira sa mental health. Hindi sapat ang 45 days dahil kakailanganin ng mga mag-aaral ng sapat na araw at oras bilang kanilang pahinga, ganun na rin sa mga guro,” she further explained.
(For me, 45 days of vacation is not enough because the online classes are draining. It affects one’s mental health badly. Enough time or days to rest is needed, which is the same for the teachers.)
The current school year is set to end on July 10 as per the DepEd order. If the proposed August 23 opening of classes will be approved, public school teachers and students will only have 45 days of vacation.
With this, students are doubting if they will be able to manage the new stress that will be brought up by the new school year.
“May posibilidad na nakabatay sa bakasyon, pahinga ang performance ko sa susunod na school year,” Yap said
(There is a possibility that the number of days for vacation, for rest, will affect my performance next school year.)
“Kung hindi naging sapat ang 45 days para ihanda ang aking sarili, sa tingin ko baka mahirapan akong gampanan ang mga performance task sa susunod na pasukan. Maraming oras at proseso ang gugulin upang maihanda ang sarili sa panibagong taon upang mag aral,” she continued.
(45 days is not enough to prepare myself. I think it would be harder to do performance tasks next school year. It would take time and many processes to prepare myself for the next school year.)
When asked if how enough vacation days will affect her performance next school year, Yangat answered “Ito'y sobrang halaga [two-month vacation] dahil makakapagpahinga ng mas matagal at mas maayos ang mga mag-aaral ng walang iniisip na kahit ano.”
(The two-month vacation is very important because it’s longer and there is more time to rest so that one can clear his/her mind.)
“Di tulad ngayon na iilang araw nalang gayong mas nakakapagod ang sitwasyon ngayon kaysa noon,” she added.
(Unlike now, we’ll have a shorter vacation in a more stressful and tiring situation.)
The students also claim that their mental health crashed this school year as stress and anxiety overpowered them.
“Sirang-sira na ang mental health ng nga estudyante ngayon. Ang ilang oras palang na nakababad sa kani-kanilang mga gadget para maka-attend ng online class ay sobra na. Idagdag pa roon ang oras ng kanilang pagsasagot at paggawa ng kanilang mga takdang aralin at pagsusulit,” Yangat explained.
(The mental health of students is in bad shape these days. A few hours of facing their gadgets and attending online class is exhausting. Add to that the hours of answering assigned tasks and examinations.)
“Ang pagkakaroon ng online class bilang mode of learning ay hindi madali. Sabi ko nga, ito'y sobrang nakakapagod. May mga oras na ako'y sobrang nahihilo at nasusuka sa sobrang babad na rin sa gadget siguro kaka-online class,” she further narrated.
(Having online classes as our mode of learning is not easy. As I’ve said, it’s very exhausting. There are times that I feel dizzy and I vomit because of too much exposure to gadgets.)
Yap validated her point by saying “Kinakaya naman dahil walang choice. Since talagang may masamang epekto sa mental health yung pag aaral kasi diba isang yan sa stressors sa buhay ng estudyante.”
(I’m managing because I have no choice. There are really negative effects to one’s mental health because studying is one of the stressors in the life of a student.)
“Humahanap na lang ng way para iwasan o maibsan yung nararamdaman na yan,” she said.
(What they do is they find other ways to cope with it to relieve what they feel.)
Students and teachers are still hoping that DepEd would reconsider the proposed date for the opening of classes.
“Kilalanin ‘yong aming mga batayang karapatan at igalang ito. As much as possible ay ibigay ‘yong karampatang benepisyo.” said Basilio.
(Recognize and respect the rights. As much as possible, give the appropriate benefits.)
“Sa akin, okay lang. It is our job to follow whatever the directive of DepEd is,” said Glenda Reyes, a grade 1 teacher from Isabela Province.
(For me, it’s okay. It is our job to follow whatever the directive of DepEd is.)
But she stressed, “Ang concern ko lang ay when I told the parents about that, sila ‘yong nag-react negatively kasi sila yung nagtuturo ng modules sa mga bata. We only follow it up and answer questions na naguguluhan sila.
(My only concern is that when I told the parents about it, they’re the ones who reacted negatively because they are the ones teaching the contents of the modules to the students. We only follow it up and answer a few questions from the parents.)
With that, students and teachers have different suggestions as to when classes must start.
Yap said “Sa halip na bawasan, dagdagan na lang. Siguro sapat na yung tatlong buwan.”
(Instead of cutting it short, increase the number of days for our vacation. Maybe three months will be enough.)
While Yangat suggested “Gusto kong tsaka na simulan ulit ang school year kapag natapos na ang pandemic na ito dahil ito naman talaga dapat ang dapat bigyang pansin, pati narin ang halaga ng mental health ng mga tao lalo na ang mga tulad kong mag-aaral.”
(I would like to start the next school year after the pandemic because it is what we need to address first, especially the mental health of students like me.)
The Republic Act 7797, the act that increased the number of school days from 200 to 220, stated that the school year shall start on the first Monday of June but not later than the last day of August.
But things changed when the pandemic happened.
Initially, DepEd ought to open classes on August 24, 2020 but in a surprise decision, they moved it to October 5, 2020.
The RA 11480 amended the previous law giving the president the power to set a different date for the opening of classes in a state of emergency upon the recommendation of the Secretary of Education. SYNC IN
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