VP Robredo eyes learning hubs to aid students, teachers cope with online system

Vice President Leni Robredo is looking for partners and volunteers for the establishment of learning hubs across the country to help students and teachers in preparation for online learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Robredo said that they decided to branch out to such an initiative since her office’s call for donations for spare smartphones, tablets, laptops or desktop computers for students and teachers prompted sectors to raise other concerns such as lack of electricity and internet connection.

“Mayroong may problema sa electrification, may walang connectivity, students and even teachers are at a lost how to operationalize everything,” Robredo said in an ANC interview on Thursday.

“That is why we are looking for partners and volunteers for learning hubs doon as sa mga lugar na mahirap ang connectivity at kulang sa gadget, para the students will have a place to go to where they can use a computer, may available na tutors, even roon sa non-readers, para may mapupuntahan sila,” she added.

President Rodrigo Duterte has earlier expressed doubt on how the Department of Education can implement distance learning, considering that not all students and teachers have tablets/laptops and stable internet connection.

The school opening for School Year 2020-2021 has been set on August 24 in compliance with the existing law that school opening cannot start beyond August of the current year.

Bills moving the school opening to next year, however, have been passed in the House of Representatives and the Senate. But these pending bills are yet to be acted upon by President Duterte.

Based on DepEd records, there are 800,000 DepEd employees, including the teachers, and 27 million students in basic and secondary education.

At least two local government units, namely the cities of Manila and Pasig, have earlier vowed to provide tablets, laptops and internet connection to students and teachers. —KBK, GMA News