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Feature
The Marikina Chronicles July 9, 2021
Students Behind the Filipino students marching down the streets with placards saying “Academic Break Now!” and “No Student Left Behind” while following safety health protocols. A ton of trending hashtags spreading through different social media platforms as they spread awareness and their thoughts and opinions about the catastrophe that is going around. The Filipino students calling out to the officials that are seated at higher places for help in schooling during the COVID-19 crisis but no one answers as if they were loudly screaming in silence. As all students are not the same, everybody has to adapt to the new normal schooling such as online and modular learning. During the midst of the pandemic in the Philippines, online and modular classes were pushed and promoted in different grade levels, in both public and private schools. As this has been approved, students have been expressing dissatisfaction
Screens and Papers by: Julia Funtalva with the given fclasses and looding school works and requirements. Learners have been calling for the approval of academic freeze or cancellation of schooling during the COVID-19 fiasco. A lot of things happened to various students for the sake of passing requirements. A 20- yearold criminology student from the province of Capiz was found dead in a motorcycle accident while she was on her way looking for a stable internet connection just to submit her finished report online to her teacher. Another 20-yearold student in Burias Island, Masbate climbed a mountain as she was also looking for a good connection to submit her school works. "I am just one of those Filipino students trying to learn despite these present adversities. Despite the difficulties I will continue to comply and learn, regardless of how hard it is.” the learner stated. Those were just some of the current cases of Filipino students while implementing distance learning.
During this time and fiasco, enacting an academic freeze is the most essential way since gadgets such as laptops, desktops and mobile phones and materials for school are not are available to all of the students in online learning. Although printed modules are obtainable, they still have to pay courier fees to the one who delivered or pick up the printed papers from their schools and go back to submit or they would still need to have signaled to pass their works. Not every student has a stable internet connection and the Philippines is included in the countries that have the slowest internet in the world which they should also consider. Some people even have to go to computer shops for weeks which takes a lot of money. Paying for the internet bills are also quite pricey too. All for the sake of schooling, students and families keep on finding ways even if it’s hard or not. Even if it costs a lot and some have nothing else to eat and keep thinking on how can they survive each and every day. Other people said that it would be better to stay home
schooling since the probability of risks that the students and other people catching the virus might double. Although students may be safe inside their homes and may get a lower risk of being physically sick, as some students say, they are already mentally and emotionally ill. Problems at home, stress, pressure, anxiety and depression are some of the psychological consequences that the students are currently experiencing. As these problems happen, some young people gets to lead themselves to the point where taking their own lives feels more necessary for them and thinks that it would be more better if they were gone, in which some did and took the risk. Every student has been facing different situations behind their screens and papers. Everyone, even teachers are facing a hard time in this crisis. Thousands of students are left behind as they have not enrolled in their schools. Some have to babysit younger ones while studying, some have to do house chores while in class. As far as we know that education is a big thing in our lives, but during this crisis, we should also value human lives.
