[EDITORIAL] How prepared are we for face-to-face classes?

The Philippines is one of the five countries in the world that have not started in-person classes since the pandemic began, affecting the right to learn of more than 27 million Filipino students, the United Nations Children’s Fund said.

In 2020, schools in the country have been closed for more than a year, compelling students to enroll in distance learning modalities. In September last year, President Rodrigo R. Duterte has approved the resumption of limited face-to-face classes to 120 schools. Therefore, it was implemented in areas identified low-risk of COVID-19.

Both the Department of Education (DepEd) and Department of Health (DOH) guaranteed that they have put in place health safety measures to ensure the safety and well-being of the students. Among those measures is requiring teachers who will participate in the face-to-face classes to be vaccinated.

In the locality, the DepEd schools division officials in Puerto Princesa and Palawan said that they compiled a list of schools that will participate in the next round of face-to-face classes’ pilot testing.

There are 80 schools shortlisted by the Schools Division Office of DepEd-Palawan, while for Puerto Princesa City, they recommended 10 schools.

The selection of schools undergo processes such as endorsement by their respective local government units (LGUs) and must have access to a health facility.

The vaccination of 12-17-year-old children likewise paved the way for the upcoming face-to-face classes in Palawan and Puerto Princesa, considering that there is a substantial number of secondary students who are now either partially or fully vaccinated.

The next few weeks and months would be hectic for teachers and parents as they prepare for the face-to-face classes. Aside from planning and organizing the schools in terms of health safety measures, there is also a necessity for parents to prepare their kids for the new normal.

The problem of prolonging the present distant learning modalities of our students is their difficulty with WiFi and internet connection, lack of access to gadgets, and the lack of a private space at home that can be considered as conducive for their learning.

Many children turn to their parents for help, while some parents are unprepared to take on the role of tutors.

With the preparations for the face-to-face classes in Palawan and Puerto Princesa, the question is how are schools prepared for the possibility of implementing the limited face-to-face classes?

The reopening of face-to-face classes could be the biggest stride our country will take as we adjust and acclimatize to a new normal. The achievement of this step will rely on us how we protect our children from the possible spread of the COVID-19.