Changes in Education system amid Covid-19

Summary

In Quezon City, public schools like President Corazon Aquino Elementary School face challenges due to the pandemic, with classrooms empty and a shift to distance learning until August. The Department of Education implements various methods, including online, TV, radio, and printed materials, affecting 27 million students. Parents, like Rowena Matsui, a sari-sari store owner, worry about the financial burden and the effectiveness of this new setup. Students and teachers alike must adapt to these changes, with the government leaving the decision to parents and respecting their choices.

Takeaways

• 🏫 President Corazon Aquino Elementary School in Quezon City, which usually has a large student population, is currently experiencing empty classrooms due to the pandemic.
• 📚 Public schools in Metro Manila are closed until August, with no face-to-face classes until safety can be assured for children and teachers.
• 🏡 The Department of Education is implementing distance learning as an alternative to physical classes, affecting 27 million students.
• 🤔 Some parents and students are unsure about the new distance learning setup, while others are trying to be optimistic.
• 💼 Distance learning could mean increased time and financial investment for parents, like Rowena Matsui, who has limited budget and resources.
• 📱 In low-income families, access to technology and the internet is a challenge, potentially hindering effective distance learning.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Aaron, a student, prefers traditional classroom settings, indicating a possible resistance to the shift to online learning.
• 👩‍🏫 Teachers are also affected by the shift, with over 800,000 public school teachers needing to adapt to new teaching methods.
• 🏠 Christian, a fourth-grade student, has tried the government's online platform, DepEd Commons, but is not impressed with the experience.
• 📉 Education officials acknowledge the difficulties of the sudden shift to distance learning but consider indefinite school closure a worse alternative.

Q & A

Which school is mentioned in the transcript?

President Corazon Aquino Elementary School in Quezon City.

Why are the classrooms at the school empty?

The classrooms are empty because the pandemic has kept public schools closed until August.

What is the current situation regarding face-to-face classes in the Philippines due to the pandemic?

There will be no face-to-face classes until the safety of children and teachers can be assured.

What alternative method is the education department implementing for education during the pandemic?

The education department is implementing distance learning as an alternative to physical classes.

How does distance learning deliver lessons to students?

Distance learning delivers lessons through online platforms, television, radio, and printed materials.

How many students are affected by the shift to distance learning?

The shift affects 27 million students from kinder to high school.

What are some of the concerns parents have about distance learning?

Parents are concerned about spending more time and money on their children's education, especially when their budget for internet is limited.

What is the family situation of Rowena Matsui, a sarisari store owner mentioned in the transcript?

Rowena Matsui has two kids who are students at a nearby public high school. They share one cell phone and have a limited budget for internet.

What is the opinion of Aaron, Rowena's son, regarding traditional classroom settings versus distance learning?

Aaron prefers the traditional classroom setting over distance learning.

What is the opinion of Shane Rojas, a stay-at-home mother, on the shift to distance learning?

Shane Rojas is worried about the shift to distance learning but is willing to try it if teachers provide printed learning materials.

What is the experience of Christian, Shane Rojas' son, with DepEd Commons, the government's online platform for educational content?

Christian has tried studying through DepEd Commons but is not impressed with the platform.

How does the education department view the shift to distance learning in comparison to canceling school indefinitely?

The education department believes that canceling school indefinitely or until the virus goes away is worse than the sudden shift to distance learning.

Who is left to decide whether students can cope with distance learning?

The decision of whether students can cope with distance learning is left up to the parents.

How does the shift to distance learning impact public school teachers?

The shift to distance learning impacts over 800,000 public school teachers, who must adapt to the new teaching method.

Outlines

00:00

🏫 Impact of Pandemic on Public Schools

The script opens at President Corazon Aquino Elementary School in Quezon City, highlighting the emptiness of a classroom that should be bustling with 50 students. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced public schools to remain closed until August, with plans to shift to distance learning instead of traditional face-to-face classes. This change affects 27 million students, including nearly 23 million from public schools. The Department of Education is implementing distance learning through online platforms, television, radio, and printed materials to ensure continuous education while prioritizing safety. However, concerns are raised about the feasibility of this approach, especially for families with limited resources, such as the Matsui family, who struggle with the cost of internet and the availability of devices for their children's education.

Keywords

💡Pandemic

A pandemic refers to an outbreak of a disease that occurs over a wide geographic area and affects an exceptionally high proportion of the population. In the context of the video, the pandemic is the driving force behind the closure of public schools and the subsequent shift to distance learning, affecting millions of students and teachers.

💡Public Schools

Public schools are government-funded educational institutions that provide primary and secondary education to students. The video discusses how public schools in Metro Manila are impacted by the pandemic, with closures and a transition to distance learning, highlighting the challenges faced by these institutions.

💡Distance Learning

Distance learning is a mode of education where students and teachers are separated by physical distance, often using technology to facilitate instruction. The video's main theme revolves around the implementation of distance learning as an alternative to traditional classroom education due to the pandemic.

💡Education Department

The education department is a government body responsible for overseeing the education system, including policy-making and resource allocation. In the video, the education department is depicted as the entity implementing distance learning and managing the educational response to the pandemic.

💡Safety

Safety in this context refers to the protection of students and teachers from health risks, particularly from the pandemic. The video mentions that face-to-face classes will only resume when safety can be assured, emphasizing the importance of health and safety in educational decisions.

💡Sari-sari Store

A sari-sari store is a small, family-owned retail shop in the Philippines that sells a variety of everyday items. In the video, the owner of a sari-sari store, Rowena Matsui, is highlighted as an example of a parent facing financial challenges due to limited income and the need to prioritize basic necessities over educational expenses.

💡Internet Access

Internet access is the ability to connect to and use the internet. The video discusses how the shift to distance learning requires reliable internet access, which can be a challenge for families with limited budgets or in areas with poor connectivity.

💡Printed Materials

Printed materials refer to physical educational resources such as textbooks, worksheets, and handouts. The video mentions that printed materials are being used as part of the distance learning strategy, particularly for families who may not have reliable access to digital resources.

💡DepEd Commons

DepEd Commons is an online platform provided by the government for educational content. The video features a student, Christian, who has tried using DepEd Commons for studying, indicating that it is one of the tools being used in the shift to distance learning.

💡Adapt

To adapt means to adjust or modify oneself or something to fit a new or changed situation. The video emphasizes the need for teachers, parents, and students to adapt to the new reality of distance learning, which is a significant change from traditional classroom settings.

💡Stakeholders

Stakeholders are individuals or groups who have an interest or concern in a particular issue. In the video, stakeholders include parents, students, and teachers, all of whom are affected by the shift to distance learning and must navigate the challenges it presents.

Highlights

President Corazon Aquino Elementary School in Quezon City has one of the largest student populations among public schools in Metro Manila.

Public schools in Metro Manila are closed due to the pandemic until August.

There might be no face-to-face classes until the safety of children and teachers is assured.

The Department of Education is implementing distance learning as an alternative to physical classes.

Distance learning delivers lessons through online platforms, television, radio, and printed materials.

The shift to distance learning affects 27 million students from kindergarten to high school.

Most affected students are from public schools, with nearly 23 million unsure about the new setup.

Some parents are optimistic about distance learning, while others are unsure.

Distance learning could mean increased time and money spent on children's education for parents.

Rowena Matsui, a sari-sari store owner, has limited budget for internet and prioritizes food over education.

Aaron, a student, prefers traditional classroom settings over distance learning.

Shane Rojas, a stay-at-home mother, is willing to try distance learning if printed materials are provided.

Christian, a student, has tried studying through DepEd Commons but is not impressed with the platform.

Education officials acknowledge the difficulty of the sudden shift to distance learning.

Canceling school indefinitely or until the virus goes away is considered worse than the shift to distance learning.

Parents are left to decide if their children can cope with distance learning, and their decisions will be respected.

The shift to distance learning impacts over 800,000 public school teachers who must adapt to the new method.

Transcripts

we're at president Corazon Aquino

Elementary School in Quezon City it has

one of the biggest student population

among public schools in Metro Manila by

now at least 50 young students should be

crammed into the small space instead we

are seeing an empty classroom void of

any activity the pandemic is keeping

Public Schools closed until August by

then things might not go back to the way

they were there will be no face-to-face

classes and sessions until we are

assured of the safety of our children

and our teachers the education

department believes students can

continue learning while staying at home

as an alternative to physical classes it

is implementing distance learning this

method delivers lessons through various

ways online television radio and printed

materials the move affects 27 million

students from kinder to high school most

of them public school students at nearly

23 million

some are unsure about the new setup

While others try to be optimistic

foreign

for parents distance learning could mean

spending more time and money on their

children's education

in a community in pasig City

we met sarisari store owner Rowena

Matsui she has two kids both students at

a nearby public high school they share

one cell phone in the family with a sari

sari store as their only source of

income budget for internet is limited

too

her priority is making sure they have

food on the table

and teaching her kids would be at the

bottom of her to-do list

on

her son Aaron also prefers the

traditional classroom setting

to be honest

just across the street we met stay at

home mother Shane Rojas her son

Christian is going to be in fourth grade

this year she's also worried about the

shift to distance learning but she's

willing to try as long as teachers are

able to hand out printed Learning

Materials

expenses

Christian says he has tried studying

through deped Commons the government's

online platform for educational content

but Christian is not impressed

education officials admit the sudden

shift to distance learning will be

difficult

but for them canceling School

indefinitely Or until the virus goes

away is worse

can students cope they leave it up to

the parents to decide and we will

respect the decision of the parents

parents and students are not the only

stakeholders

the shift to distance learning impacts

the lives of over 800 000 Public School

teachers

and for them

the only choice is to adapt

AC Nichols CNN Philippines