IMPACT OF ONLINE EDUCATION DURING PANDEMIC: HOW DO WE GO FROM HERE?

IMPACT OF ONLINE EDUCATION DURING PANDEMIC:

HOW DO WE GO FROM HERE?

by: Maria Monica Matawaran

As a developing country we’re thinly stretched. Our educational system – both public and private sectors - scrambled to transform physical classes into virtual, augmenting online learning with asynchronous modes of learning delivery such as printed modules, television and radio broadcast. However, with insufficient provision of training in the new modalities, poor but overpriced Internet infrastructure, a lack of access devices, and little to no preparation time, this unplanned and rapid move to remote learning brought tough challenges for us to learn from and overcome.

COVID-19’s unprecedented disruption to education has given way to the distinct rise of online learning. Neither students nor the education sector was equipped for prolonged school closures and the shift to remote learning has exacerbated the existing disparities and lack of digital access here in the Philippines.

While the effects of the pandemic vary among countries, ours as a developing country was profoundly grim. Our educational system scrambles to transform the physical classes virtually, augmenting online learning with asynchronous modes of learning delivery such as printed modules, television, and radio broadcast. With insufficient training in the new modalities, unreliable but overpriced internet infrastructure, lack of access to devices, and little to no preparation time, this unplanned and hasty move to remote learning brought trials that are aggravated by livelihoods lost because of the pandemic. Not all Filipino families can afford to buy a computer or tablet, and a majority of households have no access to a reliable internet connection.

Many cases have revealed how the risks are even worsened concerning those in the vulnerable sectors.

• Suicide cases stripping mental health issues related to the pandemic have emerged:

• A 16-year-old Grade 11 student in Tupi,

South Cotabato committed suicide allegedly due to the pressure and difficulty of learning the modules. Radio station 95.7 Brigada FM reported that the student told his mother that he was having difficulty studying the learning materials (The Filipino Times, 2020). • In Albay, 19-year-old Ricky Benig reportedly committed suicide, worried about the financial burden to his parents whose meager earnings could not afford the access and devices for their children’s online classes. (Rappler, 2020; Barcia, 2020).

• Students are climbing trees, roofs, mountains in search of data signals to attend their classes and submit requirements.

• Approximately 3 million learners opted not to enroll in the K-12 levels for SY 20202021 despite the massive enrollment drive undertaken by schools and pushback of school year opening from June to October (Uaminal, 2020)

• A total of 409,757 teachers, faculty, and school personnel in private educational institutions nationwide are affected by the enhanced community quarantine, “Teachers are either receiving reduced pay or they are no longer paid at all due to ‘no Coordinating

Council of Private Educational Associations (Cocopea). ( Rappler, 2020; work, no pay’ scheme”, as told by Joseph Noel Estrada,

Managing Director of Magsambol, 2020)

• Teachers from rural areas have to travel at their own expense to the nearest urban distribution center to get printed modules and then visit their students to drop off the modules.

• There aren’t enough learning support specialties and instructional designers, which have not been a priority for a long time.

The increasing use of whatever technology is at hand for education is a step in the right direction.

HOW DO WE NOW PROGRESS? WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE FUTURE OF LEARNING?

The myopic and reactionary response of our national decision-makers have compelled the underprivileged students and our teachers to pursue an education of dubious quality despite the overwhelming mental and economic burden on them. The pandemic is far from over, thus, we must start taking aggressive steps to reshape our country’s education. We can begin by:

• Uniting as communities in planning for education recovery. Call out policymakers, if they truly intend to ensure that students get an equal and quality education, they need to look closer into the grassroots, remove financial barriers and close every gap, leaving no students and teachers behind.

• Looking into alternative education methods to rethink and innovate instructions. Partner with LGUs to work on adding cell sites to communities and remote areas, close all digital divides.

• Building and funding mental health support.

• Understanding that every student will experience instruction differently no matter how consistent the teaching strategies.

Embracing the diversity of experience among our students will open doors, allowing planning of multiple routes for engagement, representation and expression that will empower and enable more students.

Rather than enduring the damages of the never-ending cycle of reactionary responses, now is the time to act preemptively and decisively for learning continuity that is inclusive of all. Let’s turn these challenges to opportunities in rebuilding the future of a reimagined education system.