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MANILA (TO UPDATE) – At least 134 professors from the University of the Philippines-Diliman called on the school administration to end the semester “immediately”, citing challenges in distance education along with the effects of the typhoons that recently hit the country.
In a statement released Sunday night, faculty members said the recent storms that hit Luzon exacerbated the difficulties UP students and educators face with implementing distance learning during the pandemic.
“The struggles of the students are further intensified by the recent calamities, leaving the students and teachers of Bicol, Cagayan, Isabela, Marikina and Rizal, among others, with an indefinite and debilitating loss of electricity and internet connection, destruction of properties and homes. and loss of loved ones, ”said the faculty members.
“With just three weeks to go for the semester, discounting the time needed to recover from those affected by the recent typhoons, the pressure to finish the remaining days of the semester has been exacerbated to the point of inhumanity,” the group added.
In calling for the end of the semester, the faculty members also urged the UP administration to stop any additional requirements and implement an “approval system or DRP” instead of a numerical grading system.
Under the system, students enrolled in the first semester will receive a “P” or passing grade by default, except for those who were unable to meet sufficient requirements or attend synchronous classes, according to the statement.
Students requesting numerical grades, such as those with scholarships, may receive optional requirements at the discretion of their instructors, the group said.
The group asked the administration to expedite cash aid, such as internet and device allowances, for teachers and salaries for new teachers.
The faculty members also requested an increase in the allocation for devices of Php6,000 in the coming semesters and a provision for disaster relief ”, among others.
Among the signatories is the former secretary of Social Welfare and Development Judy Taguiwalo, who teaches at the UP School of Social Work and Community Development.
Elena Pernia, UP vice president for public affairs, said the administration was grateful for the input from faculty members and would discuss the concerns.
“However, the semester is unlikely to end at this point,” Pernia told ABS-CBN News.
UP began classes on September 10, implementing distance learning after the government banned face-to-face classes due to the pandemic. The first semester classes are programmed to end on December 9.
Before the opening of classes, the UP’s Regent Student Office called on the administration to postpone the start of the school year, arguing that some students were not ready for remote learning.
In early November, around the same time that Super Typhoon Rolly devastated southern Luzon, UP scheduled a “reading break” mid-semester so that students and faculty members could adjust to the demands of remote learning. .
The university announced Sunday that it would suspend synchronous and asynchronous classes and submission of requirements from November 16-23 to allow affected members of the UP community to recover from the onslaught of Typhoon Ulysses.
– With a report from Arra Perez, ABS-CBN News
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