June 7, 2021
Imari Jazmine Tamayo
The hope of every college student and educator in safely returning to their classrooms shattered when Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chairman J. Prospero de Vera III announced that the flexible learning system will stay even after the pandemic.
De Vera further stated that there is no going back to “the traditional full-packed, face-to-face classrooms” because it will risk exposing educational stakeholders should another pandemic come in. He said that it is important to realize that the distinction between face-to-face classes and online classes will disappear as we continue to move forward.
At the very least, flexible learning will allow the different higher educational institutions (HEIs) to adapt to the demands of continuing education amidst the pandemic. However, it will also force the students to settle for whatever quality of education they can get during these uncertain times.
Some of the different problems that students face during flexible learning include financial problems, lack of a conducive learning environment, lack of gadgets, and lack of stable internet connection among others. Unless CHED addresses these difficulties, flexible learning should not be made into a permanent solution because it will cause more students to lose interest in continuing their education.
At What Cost
De Vera stated that universities who are more prepared will continue investing and moving ahead using online platforms. Despite recognizing that there is a digital divide among learners, de Vera commended the HEIs because of their ability to innovate and adapt to the current situation. He said that because of these improvements, “both students and faculty members are able to adapt and adjust to flexible learning now than before.”
What de Vera sees as a victory required a lot of sacrifices from the students and teachers that were affected by the change in the mode of learning. Throughout the pandemic, we have heard different stories showing the risks that students and professors take in order to comply with their requirements.
In April of 2020, Franz Berdida became viral when she took to Twitter to share her flexible learning experience. Berdida, a civil engineering student from Mapua University, said that she had to endure a 5-kilometer walk from their house and hike a small mountain to gain internet access so she could pass her requirements.
In May of the same year, the National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP) reported the death of Kriselyn Villance. Villance died in a road accident on her way home after searching for a stable internet connection to pass an online report. She was a second-year criminology student at Capiz State University.
The accounts by Berdida and Villance show how shifting to an online platform will further endanger the lives of students. Although some universities and colleges are more prepared than others to shift to a purely online set-up, the unstable internet connection in the country will still force students to find ways to comply with their requirements even if it is at the expense of their own safety.
Adjusting Without Proper Funding
De Vera said that a flexible learning system will allow universities to “mix and match flexible learning methods appropriate to their situation.” He also stated that the HEIs have the freedom to choose which methods of learning will be best for students. He also said that limited face-to-face classes will be allowed especially for practical courses like medicine and health allied courses.
After a year under the remote learning set-up, many students still lack the material and financial capacity to sustain their education. Lacking financial resources still hinders education regardless of the learning methods that different universities may choose for their students.
Although the Department of Education (DepEd) and CHED promised to provide financial assistance to learners and educators, multiple groups slammed the two government offices because of their “slow disbursement of funds.”
According to Raymond Basilio, Secretary-General of Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines, “Pandemic-hit teachers and families are forced to use their own meagre income to fund the hefty needs of education.”
Adding to his statement regarding DepEd’s “poor” fiscal performance, Basilio said that this equates to the students’ loss of their right to education.
Aside from their tuition fees, the students also have to shoulder their own electricity and connectivity bills. Professors and teachers also experience the same situation of paying these expenses despite being promised financial assistance.
Last January 26, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers staged a protest against the DepEd after the delay of communication allowances for teachers.
DepEd promised to give teachers a monthly allowance of P300. However, teachers had to go through a lengthy process to gain this benefit.
"Ang ating mga guro ay hinahanapan ng kung ano-anong requirements upang patunayan kuno na gumastos ng P300 bawat buwan, na sa katotohanan po, mahigit libo ang gastos ng mga guro bawat buwan para sa communication," ACT Secretary General Basilio.
Education is everyone’s right but flexible learning is not for everyone. If CHED were to push through with its implementation without providing proper and sustainable fundings for the students, more learners will be left behind.
Financial assistance will not guarantee the same quality education that students get during face-to-face classes but it will certainly help. If DepEd and CHED continue to fail in providing quick and efficient assistance to its constituents, education will no longer be a right but it will now turn into a privilege that only those with money can afford.
A New Hope
For now, flexible learning is essential to continue education amidst the pandemic but it should not be made a permanent solution. To push through with its implementation will only add to the hardships that students and professors already face. In-person classes still remain as the most effective method of learning because it provides inclusivity among learners.
For so long, many students have dreamed of returning to their campuses. At the beginning of the pandemic, it was difficult to see a time where students will learn in their classrooms again. Now that the Philippines has started its COVID-19 vaccination program, the hopes of the students were rekindled.
The best thing to do right now is to continue improving the current methods of learning while preparing ourselves to return to the “normal” that we used to know. Investing in the students’ education should always be the number one priority. Flexible learning may be the best that we can do right now but once everything starts to get better, the resumption of face-to-face classes should be prioritized. SYNC IN
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