WHICH do you prefer, online or regular classes?
With the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic, some people especially the netizens have expressed diverse opinions on the proposed conduct of either online or regular education as precautionary measures in fight against the deadly disease.
While others were fine with online education, some would want to proceed with regular schooling as decided by the Department of Education (DepEd) which is set to proceed on August 24 as school children are less likely to get exposed to the virus by then.
However, the City Council of Bacolod, in its desire to shield the young learners from Covid-19 seeks the permission of the DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones to shelve the opening of classes set this August 24 until such time the curve for Covid-19 flattens.
Let us see how the Netizens exchanged views and ideas regarding the conduct of schooling under a Covid-19-drenched school year 2020.
May V. Castro, a parent of two kids said, “It seems that online education is the most viable arrangement in this situation but it also comes with challenges. Not all homes have gadgets or stable internet connections. Having more than one school-age child is a problem too because sharing and scheduling might not be feasible. Nor can parents procure the requirements as easily at this time. It’s sad.”
Marites Abeto said she received an advisory from the school that starting July 1 there will be an online class.
Abeto said, “We have not yet outlived the crisis, and then here come the school fees again? But I don’t like also that my children will stop schooling for a year. If the online classes are the best offer, I would rather still take it.”
Maricar A. Octaviano felt sorry for her son who is set to study as a college freshman at De La Salle University. His excitement and thrill as a “probinsyano” or a country boy who is ready to invade the big city were thwarted due to Covid-19. My son was not able to graduate on stage to get his diploma after completing his senior high school and then, here comes the online education. It’s a sad reality brought about by the new normal. But, better safe than sorry. We have to adjust to the new normal, she said.
Mate Espina said her granddaughter readies for the online schooling which she felt, it’s about time. But there must still be some social-physical interaction at least once a week.
Adrian Nemes, a public school teacher himself, is not in favor of online education because other students have no access to the internet. They don’t even have food on their plates how much more internet access. Besides the signal here in the country is terrible. He thinks modular is better.
The same sentiments were also echoed by Jerome Galunan, also a public school teacher. He said, although DepEd is trying to establish various modes of learning including online, not all students may have access to the cyber platform.
“This is because not every student has a cellular phone, and if they have, they don’t have loads. Internet access is also slow that it would be inefficient to deliver this mode of learning. The DepEd should get assurance from the telecommunication companies to provide the needed Internet capacity to various communities. Another reality of online learning is when the department uses TV and radio for this mode of learning. How can we be assured that students will be there to watch TV or listen to the radio where in fact they are not even in focus during the face-to-face learning in schools. Moreover, not all families in the country have TV and radio, especially in far-flung communities,” he lamented.
Grace Supe, a media practitioner, said online education is better for those who can afford it. But deemed problematic for those who are economically deprived. She added that students will indeed miss education for a year if DepEd will favor the conduct of online education.
Surely this will not be the end of discussion among parents and learners as consensus would be almost impossible to reach. But we hope that the Department of Education will consider the concerns of parents from opposing views as it crafts guidelines and protocols in the conduct of a new normal learning process.