WHILE the entire world had to cope with the Covid-19 pandemic, the Philippines had existing challenges exposed because of the pandemic. As the Philippines’ vast return to normal routines within the pandemic phase instructs, looking back towards policies along with concepts will be necessary, especially in the education sector, which requires urgent transformation. There is a rush to transform the school curriculum owing to the distance-learning system brought about by the pandemic. The long-term effects of learning loss during fragile communities as learners is already severe.
A major problem in the Philippines’ education system is a drastic loss of learning, or learning exhaustion. The World Bank and Unicef estimate that over 90 percent of children aged 10 in the Philippines can’t read a simple story. Pledging a further 10 years to learning poverty, marked by insufficient literacy skills, sets a decade-long deadline to make up for the diabolical learning gaps. The impending mediocre reading fluency gaps stem from the already debilitating pandemic induced learning loss, and lack of fundamental guides to escape from harsh educational frameworks is what fail to serve the bare essential help and aid of innovative pedagogy for accurate mastery delineation. Rethinking how teachers are trained and selected, how students are taught, and how their learning is evaluated will not solve the issue at hand. The already lacking structure must be fundamentally reshaped to close the foundational gaps.
The sudden transition to learning from home during the pandemic highlighted a digital gap. Students living in urban areas had access to digital devices and the internet, which allowed them to continue learning, although not seamlessly. Unfortunately, many students from rural and underprivileged communities came to a complete standstill in learning. The Department of Education (DepEd)provided printed modules and online resources such as DepEd Commons, yet inconsistent execution highlighted the inequity around resources. Access to a computer was only available to 17 percent of households and internet access was even lower. This meant a large number of students were enrolled in a school system but effectively “offline” when it came to actual participation. Thus, inequality in technology rapidly became inequality in education, exacerbating an already deep and problematic gap that, if neglected, will lead to severe ramifications in the future.
Of equal importance is the concern for student’s well-being. The pandemic had troubling effects on a learner’s mental well-being due to long periods of seclusion, uncertainty, and stress. Students reported dramatically higher rates of anxiety, depression, and social withdrawal. Although the government funded mental health hotlines and remote counseling services, those who most needed help often lacked the technology or finances to access such services. In a country that continues to struggle with stigma surrounding mental illness, the aftermath of the pandemic requires multifaceted support on policies and an infusion of emotional and psychological fortitude into the school curriculum.
Educators were perhaps the most heavily impacted by the pandemic. Most had to teach classes outside of their area of specialization, often without any prior training in digital teaching methodologies. A stunning 62 percent of secondary teachers, based on the data from the Second Congressional Commission on Education (Edcom II), were found teaching subjects for which they were academically unqualified. This curricular misalignment not only diminishes the efficacy of instruction, but the self-esteem as well as the morale of the teachers gets negatively impacted. While there were efforts by DepEd to develop capacity-building programs, these are deepened, broadened and customized to the specific needs of a given local school district. Recovery without the empowerment of teachers, who are indispensable to the education system, makes such recovery implausible. The review of the post-pandemic state of schools reveals sobering realities related to infrastructure. Many thousands of schools still do not have access to safe drinking water, proper sanitation facilities, electricity, or even connection to the internet. Some of these shortcomings are not new, but during the pandemic when learning shifted to both physical and virtual settings, they became a lot more pronounced. There have been efforts to build new classrooms and enhance facilities as well as provide educational materials, but overall infrastructure development is still lagging far behind the rate of demand. It is essential and I must emphasize, absolutely essential that the environment, whether digital or physical, promotes and sustains quality teaching and learning activities.
On the policy edge, reforms are acknowledged at the government level. The latest Edcom II report emphasizes the need to enforce foundational learning, better funding reallocations, and enhance the governance management triad over education agencies. However, there is still a gap regarding implementation. Limited funding, overlap in function among government agencies and ever-changing political leadership, has historically caged the country’s educational reform. To ensure recovery measures are not simply responsive actions but truly transformative, the commitment to a long-term inclusive and evolving plan responsive to learners’ changing needs is necessary.
Outside policy, the contribution from the community and families widened their lens. Parents stepping into the role of teachers during the lockdown showcased their utmost importance. Yet, the absence of more formally educated parents revealed community support gaps that need bridging. Creating and strengthening collaborative ties between the school and local government, as well as non-governmental organizations could cultivate the support learners need.
Even in the shadow of difficulties, there is some light. Certain municipalities have taken the initiative through blended learning programs, radio-based teaching, and community learning centers. There is increasing recognition, especially after the pandemic, of the value of student-centered teaching that goes beyond rote learning and fosters critical thought, creativity, and adaptability. The thoughtful and equitable implementation of digital tools can improve learning and prepare students for the 21st century.
The pandemic has tested the Philippine education system to its limits. This litmus test has brought to light the system’s weaknesses and allows it to reflect afterward. The period following the pandemic poses challenges alongside opportunities that have the potential to completely shift the axis of education. Tackling the issues of learning poverty, the digital gap, mental health, infrastructure, the teaching profession, and governance is not a list of problems, but rather a comprehensive recovery plan that needs to be approached in unison. With genuine commitment from the government, this crisis can in fact become the nation’s turning point; not only to restore what was, but to create an innovative, inclusive, and resilient education system built for the future.