Corro, Dominique Felice

Mendoza, Ronna Mae

Rafol, Jennelle
Rempillo, Maria Vanessa Joy

Vigonte, Sharmaine

The Pandemic and its Impact on the Learning Development of Students

In the global crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, both individuals and
organizations have impacted almost all sectors of our society. Educational institution is
no exception. These nationwide closures are impacting hundreds of millions of students.
Our education system was not built, nor prepared, to cope with a situation and adapt to a
circumstance like this- we do not have the structures to sustain and continue the effective
teaching and learning during the shutdown, also to give the wellbeing supports that many
students get and receive in school. While we do not have the exact impacts, we do know
that student's academic performance is falling apart during the pandemic, alongside with
their progress on other developmental skills.

In the Philippines, the lockdown policy is still continuing especially in NCR,

Higher education institutions (HEIs), both public and private, have also had to
adjust to the new situation where face-to-face interaction and mass gatherings are
prohibited. Committed to their mandate, the leading universities and colleges in the
Philippines, particularly those affiliated with the ASEAN University Network – such as the
University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University and De la Salle University,
found innovative ways to fulfil their three-pronged tasks of education, research and
service. Everyone, from the operations and support service units, to administrators and
teachers, adjusted to work-from-home arrangements.

From the confines of their homes, teachers and administrators were put to the task
of revising and adapting course syllabi and requirements as they shifted to alternative or
remote teaching modalities, both synchronous and asynchronous. Where students and
teachers had access to electronic devices and reliable Internet connections, learning
managements systems such as Canvas, Moodle, Blackboard, and applications like
Google Hangouts, Zoom and Skype, were used. But where students had limited access
to computers or unreliable access to the Internet, teachers and students used
smartphones to exchange messages, notes and materials, through text messaging, e-
mail, Facebook Messenger, and Twitter. The only advantage in this educational change
is the asynchronous delivery method, which is accessible anytime and anywhere. It also
gives way for digital training and it is more practical especially to those students who’s
having a part-time job. Furthermore, asynchronous learning cannot only save you time
but also money by not requiring students to physically travel to schools.

In some instances, these arrangements became unsustainable and some

Are Schools in the Philippines Ready to Open in a Pandemic?

When COVID-19 lockdowns were imposed in March across the country, classes
in most schools were already ending. Thus, the disruption caused by the pandemic to the
learning of most students was minimal. As the public health crisis intensified, the
traditional June opening of classes was moved to August. This was seen by almost all
stakeholders as necessary to ensure the safety of students, teachers, and other school
personnel. But they also expected that the government would use the postponement to
strategize and implement programs that would make it possible to resume classes without
triggering further COVID-19 outbreaks. During several Congress and Senate hearings in
the past three months, lawmakers expressed concern about the readiness of the
Department of Education (DepEd) in transitioning to a blended type of learning, which
would entail continuous training, procurement of new learning materials, and installation
of broadband connections.

In response, DepEd assured legislators and the public that the government was
all set for the August start of classes. It insisted that teachers have been advised about
innovative teaching strategies, internet access is being improved, and modules are set
for distribution. Nevertheless, some senators continued to pinpoint glaring gaps in the
DepEd plan for the opening of classes. For example, they aired concerns that the digital
divide will lead to further exclusion. Lawmakers are not convinced that the slow and
unreliable internet access in the country can be fixed in time for the scheduled start of the
new school year.

Before COVID-19, many schools were barely coping with meager funding,
inadequate facilities, and high enrollment rates. It is feared that the pandemic will
exacerbate these problems, which critics blame on years of under-investment in public
education. Another big obstacle is poor internet infrastructure in non-urban regions of the
country. If DepEd aims to rely on the internet for distance learning, this will require extra
spending not just on gadgets and workshops for educators, but also massive construction
of communication towers to extend services to all those in need.

In conclusion, our country is basically not ready for this pandemic, and for how the
government will handle the struggles that are related to education. Students are having
problems with their internet connections, their means to study online and/or modular
classes, and for the student’s parents if they have the capacity to make their sons/
daughters study in this current situation of the country. On the other hand, school
administrators and teachers are also struggling as they comprise a cadre that can be
trained during the school closure to help with coping up to the said classes. In these
cases, attention is needed to define a clear path to returning the schools to their initial
purpose today or once the crisis is over. As of today, the only thing that people can do is
to have communication campaigns to spread information and awareness to what’s
happening in the country, disinfect houses, offices, and any other infrastructure, and have
a healthy lifestyle. Now, the question is, can the pandemic institution survive this kind of
classes? And, when will this Covid-19 pandemic end?

Sources:

https://www.viewsonic.com/library/education/the-pros-and-cons-of-asynchronous-
distance-learning/

https://headfoundation.org/HESB8/covid-19-and-its-impact-on-higher-education-in-the-
philippines/

https://thediplomat.com/2020/08/are-schools-in-the-philippines-ready-to-open-in-a-
pandemic/

http://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/450881585235950757/Guidance-Note-on-
Education-Systems-Response-to-COVID19.pdf