WITH full online distance learning not feasible in their school, administrators of the Jaclupan National High School (JNHS) in Barangay Jaclupan, Talisay City, are working on ways to still deliver quality education to their learners amid these challenging times.
Through the help of some stakeholders and private individuals, the school was able to put up its own on-site radio booth and have its own radio frequency modulation (FM) broadcast band – the first in Central Visayas – for its radio-based instruction (RBI) modality.
Eamon Alido, JNHS principal, said blended learning (modular distance learning aided with RBI) works best for their area, considering its geographical features and the fact that majority of their students do not have access to smart phones, computers or the internet.
Jaclupan is a remote barangay bounded by Barangays Campo IV in the northwest, Tapul in the southwest and Maghaway, Lagtang and Cadulawan in the southeast. JNHS, Alido said, caters to 1,632 junior and senior high school students, including those from 35 sitios in Barangay Campo III and 15 sitios in Barangay Campo IV.
Of these students, only 249 have online access, he said.
Dr. Evangel Luminarias, Talisay City Division Schools Superintendent, said according to the survey they conducted last May and June, 85 percent of their student and parent respondents opted to use modular modality while the remaining 15 percent wanted to have other modalities like digital, online, radio-based, or television-based.
She said their schools division has already finished preparing its modules for weeks one to 12 of the incoming school year’s first quarter.
“What is written in the modules will be heard through the radio. I-supplement siya sa teachers (These will be used as supplements),” she said.
Alido said by using RBI, teachers can pre-record their class instructions at home. Once they’re done, they forward the instructions to the assigned RBI teacher who will then prepare these for the designated class schedule.
Starting Oct. 5, Alido said the scheduled start date of the school year 2020-2021, the school’s radio booth will be operational from 7 a.m until 5 p.m.
He said Monday is allocated for Grade 7 classes while Grade 11 classes are aired daily from Monday to Friday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Instructions and classes for Grade 8 students are aired every Tuesday; Grade 9, on Wednesday; Grade 10, on Thursday; and Grade 12, on Friday.
He said neighboring elementary schools can also air their own public service announcements between noon and 1 p.m.
As classes have not yet started, he said, praise and worship songs and other music are played for the meantime. He, however, clarified that they are not accepting any form of advertisement.
Alido said that while the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), the government agency mandated to oversee broadcasting operations in the country, gave assurance of support for TV- and radio-based instruction, there is no radio station operating in Talisay City.
This prompted them to look for donors and sponsors for their own radio frequency and booth on the third floor of Building 5 of their Junior High School, he said.
He said the school spent between P60,000 and P70,000 for the setup, which is cheaper, since the transmitter and other materials needed for the radio station were donated.
The computers used in the booth were provided by the Department of Education (DepEd). Some of the computers were used to print learning modules and make student inquiry sheets and performance reports, among others.
He said the DepEd Central Office took care of acquiring the license and permit from the NTC.
Alido said the video simulation they made was regarded as the “Best Video for Simulation for the Different Learning Modalities” in the region.
He also said they have created the “Teachers’ Program Initiative” where teachers help 689 students acquire either used or new transistor radios.
“We are hoping that someone can help provide transistor radios, especially for our underprivileged students,” he said.