Gatchalian wants probe on how Philippine education would cope with COVID-19

A Senate inquiry is needed to assess the impact of COVID-19 in the Philippine education system and the adjustments to be made, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said Friday.

He filed Resolution No.391 which seeks an investigation in aid of legislation to determine the appropriate recovery and transition measures for teachers, learners, and parents.

Gatchalian, chair of the Senate committee on education, underscored that the pandemic not only disrupted the classes of over 28 million students from kindergarten to tertiary levels since March but also aggravated the ordeal for students in the marginalized sector.

"Hindi lamang natin sisikaping makabangon ang ating sistema ng edukasyon mula sa naging epekto ng COVID-19, kailangan nating patatagin ang kakayahan ng ating mga paaralan na ipagpatuloy ang pagbibigay ng dekalidad na edukasyon sa panahon ng mga krisis at sakuna," he said in a statement.

The Department of Education recently announced that School Year 2020-2021 will start on August 24.

Gatchalian said home-based learning would probably be the new normal for the stakeholders in the education sector amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The senator reiterated that the remaining months shall be maximized to prepare for the shift to education platforms such as online tools, printed materials, radio- and television-based instructions.

He also said that private school employees must receive assistance in these trying times as he cited data from the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations which showed that 409,757 private school teachers and personnel are receiving either reduced or no pay because of school closures amid COVID-19 pandemic.

Around 15.5% of elementary and high school students in the country are enrolled in private schools, according to the senator. — Dona Magsino/RSJ, GMA News