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Two senators presented different views on the government’s experiment to return to face-to-face classes in January.
Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, chairman of the Senate Health and Demographics Committee, questioned Wednesday the mock face-to-face classes planned by the Department of Education (DepEd) in low-risk areas for coronavirus disease 2019. (COVID- 19).
Go said he prefers face-to-face classes to be postponed until Covid-19 vaccines are widely available.
“I personally don’t [safe] vaccine, no face-to-face classes anyway. Because, ‘if there is one that has been positive there, let’s go back to where we started, go back to zero again and another contact tracing again (I personally am in favor of’ no safe vaccine, no face-to-face classes. ‘It tests positive, it goes back to the starting point, go back to zero for the follow-up of a new contract) ”, he said.
For Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, conducting the trial in low-risk or Covid-19-free areas will help address the challenges that threaten the deployment of distance learning.
“On the one hand, we have a lack of access to an adequate connection to the Internet. We also have parents or guardians who are unable to help our students with learning at home because they lack education. These problems are even more pronounced in disaster-stricken areas, where even self-study modules were destroyed, ”said Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate’s basic education committee.
Go is skeptical that parents will allow their children to attend physical classes while the pandemic is still raging.
“For example, 50 [estudyante] in a classroom, the only one who gives consent is only one or two or maybe more people are afraid to give [consent] na papasukin po ang kanilang mga anak (For example, in a classroom of 50 students, only one or two parents would give their consent, or most would be afraid to give their consent that would allow their children to attend classes), ”he said.
Go urged the DepEd to study and reconsider its position.
Gatchalian said authorities must lower their guard as schools slowly reopen.
Health protocols such as mask use and physical distancing must be strictly observed, he said.
“Lastly, we have to make sure that schools and local government units have reporting and referral systems to manage infections. This includes ensuring access to testing and treatment for our teachers and non-teaching staff, ”he said.
Last Monday, Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said President Duterte and members of his cabinet approved DepEd’s proposal to test face-to-face classes at selected schools.
“So the concept here is to create a very limited and very localized face-to-face class, which means that we can do small workshops or small groups of students, probably around 10 students and a teacher will help them, advise them, help them understand what is supposed to be. they must learn, ”Gatchalian said.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque 3rd said the Department of Health and DepEd were jointly developing guidelines for the trial.
In addition to the low daily rate of attacks, other factors to consider before an area is included in the pilot of face-to-face classes include the hospital care capacity and the public health preparation of the local government unit that would do the face-to-face. -Facial classes.
Duque added that parental consent is also required.
WITH RED MENDOZA
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