By Joseph B.A. Marzan
Department of Education (DepEd)-6 spokesperson Lea Belleza on Saturday said the first week of the new school year in basic education was “very successful”.
School Year 2020-2021 started on Oct. 5, 2020 from Kindergarten to Senior High School in all public schools and several private schools across the country.
The school opening was moved due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
The COVID-19 pandemic caused schools to close the last school year earlier than usual, with graduation and recognition ceremonies done online in some schools.
DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones in May announced that the opening of classes for this school year would be on August 24, 2020.
On August 14, however, Briones announced that upon her recommendation, President Rodrigo Duterte approved the rescheduling of the opening to Oct. 5 to give more time for schools and teachers to prepare.
Duterte signed Republic Act No. 11480 on July 17, amending Rep. Act No. 7797, giving him the power to change the opening date of classes beyond August in the event of a state of emergency or state of calamity.
The country is currently under a State of Calamity due to the COVID-19 pandemic, declared by the president on March 17, 2020 via Proclamation No. 929.
This was extended up to Sept. 12, 2021, via Proclamation No. 1021 which was issued on Sept. 16, 2020.
The current set-up of the education system for this school year shunned the traditional classroom setting due to risks posed by COVID-19.
Instead, learners and their parents have been given options during the enrollment process, whether to have classes via online platforms, via printed modules, or via media-based learning through television and radio programs.
They were also given the option to pursue a “blended” mode, or a mix of all modes to be arranged with the schools and their teachers.
DepEd-6’s modules, according to Regional Director Gemma Ledesma in an interview with Aksyon Radyo Iloilo on Oct. 6, are made available to pupils from Kindergarten to Grade 3 using Aklanon, Karay-a, Hiligaynon, and Bisaya, based on the Mother Tongue-Based instruction of the K-12 curriculum.
Belleza told Daily Guardian in a phone interview that DepEd-6’s success was due to the series of activities with parents and other education stakeholders.
Belleza described the new system of education as a “co-partnership” between the DepEd, the schools, education stakeholders, and families.
“It was very successful, our first week. Probably what really helped us there is the preparations from the training of our teachers on the different learning delivery modalities, the series of orientations with the parents and learners, and our continuous collaboration with education stakeholders,” Belleza said.
She added that the DepEd-6 had not yet received any direct feedback at their level, as concerns have already been addressed in schools.
“We have help desks in our regional office, schools division offices, and our schools themselves. They have hotlines so parents and other education stakeholders who have queries can reach them with concerns or queries. So far, nothing has reached our regional office, because their needs with the schools were resolved at their local levels,” she added.
She said that on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest, the success rate would be at a 10 because of their preparedness.
“We admit that there are challenges, like with online classes, we had received some feedback. These things we do not have control over, like, for example, power interruptions, and sudden disruptions with internet connectivity. These things are being discussed between the teachers and learners. If there are problems, students should feel free to inform their teachers should these things happen. From a scale of 1 to 10, of course it would be self-serving if we gave ourselves a 10, but of course in all fairness to our education majors and our teachers, I can say it is a 10 because we are prepared,” she said.
Belleza clarified that schools have been given individual leeway on how they will deliver learning to the children due to the varying conditions and circumstances in their localities.
“We give freedom to our schools to strategize on what they will be doing with the classes. We did expect that in the first two days of meetings, there would be conditioning, mind-setting, and of course the orientations with their subject teachers with the expectations of the kids and the subject outputs. Some schools have already conducted pre-orientation with their learners, while other schools have already conducted discussions with learners, meaning that they have already started proper classes,” she said.
As to social media posts criticizing the modules being given by the DepEd, Belleza denied that these did come from them after verifying with their central office in Pasig City.
“We have received feedback. We have seen the posts on social media, like the errors in our modules, in our television and radio-based instructions. Our central office has already stated that we are yet to confirm if these really came from the [DepEd]. The central office has checked and learned that these are not from the DepEd,” she said.
To this, she apologized if the materials did come from the department, justifying that these may have been overlooked by their quality assurance teams, and will be rectified accordingly.
She added that teachers have been oriented to rectify any mistakes in modules at their level.
“If ever these materials did come from the DepEd, then we apologize, we admit there are failings. We apologize that these were probably overlooked by our quality assurance teams, but of course, measures are taken in order to rectify these things. We are not ignoring them, and we are studying how to correct them. With the lessons, our teachers have already been oriented that if there are corrections that needed to be done immediately because of time element, we have advised them to rectify in their classrooms,” she explained.
Belleza also called on parents and learners to raise their concerns at the soonest time with school officials or with DepEd personnel, and not to post them on social media.
“We would like to ask the parents, if ever they have concerns and would like to help the [DepEd], please feel free to inform any DepEd personnel, or teacher, or their children’s adviser of the errors in contents. They don’t have to post it on social media. It cannot be answered if they post it on social media,” Belleza requested.
She also called on other education stakeholders to help the DepEd, which she said they will “greatly appreciate”.
“Another request is for our education stakeholders. We cannot avoid that there are several posts spreading negativity, calling for academic freeze, asking why we should continue classes because of several errors. To our retired professors and other brilliant people in our communities, to education graduates, and other degree holders, if they would like to assist us in the DepEd, please help us. If they really want to facilitate children’s learning, which is everybody’s concern, please help us and not immediately post it on social media. In all fairness to our hardworking teachers, up to our central office, they should assist us, and we will greatly appreciate their help,” she said.
The DepEd’s next steps, according to Belleza, will be a review of materials with errors via a “walk-through”, and ensuring the strengthening of their quality assurance system.
