2 MONTHS BEFORE OPENING OF CLASSES

DepEd exec: 60% of teachers yet to be trained, modules for distance learning yet to be printed

The Department of Education (DepEd) has yet to train more than half of its 800,000 public school teachers for distance learning, according to Undersecretary Diosdado San Antonio on Thursday.

"We hope to be able to provide the training to our fellow teachers this coming July, the remaining 60%," San Antonio said in a Senate hearing.

This training, handled by the National Educators Academy of the Philippines, equips teachers to " convert materials into e-books or into other digital formats," he added.

San Antonio said that other efforts to train teachers for the new normal—which would involve zero face-to-face classes at the onset—are ongoing.

"There are also local initiatives from the division offices, regional offices, where the teachers are also being given training activities," he added.

Mapping

Senator Nancy Binay asked if the DepEd has already come up with a map that would determine the appropriate training which should be given to the teachers, tailored based on their geographical situation and available resources of students.

"Nauunawaan po namin na dapat sana ngayon pa lang ay mayroon na tayong datos kung sino sa mga bata ang may kakayanan na may online-based education, sino ang may radio, anuman ang sitwasyon nila, kaya lang po wala tayong ganoong datos bago mangyari itong COVID-19 pandemic," Education Undersecretary Tony Umali said.

"Bagamat mayroon po kaming datos kung sino po sa aming mga guro ang may gadgets... sa ating mga guro, humigit kumulang 10 porsyento lang po ang walang access sa gadgets. May datos po kami kung aling paaralan ang may kuryente, aling paaralan ang may computer labs," he added.

Umali, however, said that this gap on data could be answered by the enrollment survey forms being filled out by learners.

The enrollment period will last until the end of June but Umali said the teachers' training is already ongoing.

"We have still the whole month of July to continue with our online training to the extent that it will be applicable to them... Nagsasanay na po kami ngayon as we speak... We will not wait to finish the survey of our learners," he said.

The regional directors would decide which blended learning modalities would be best to employ based on their respective situation, according to Umali.

Printing of modules

Meanwhile, the printing of self-learning modules for students has yet to start.

"'Yung pag-iimprenta ng self-learning modules, hindi pa po nangyayari ngayong buwan ng Hunyo. Inaasahan po natin na gagawin natin sa susunod na buwan," Umali said.

"Printing of materials usually takes 30 to 60 days, including delivery," he added.

Nonetheless, he assured that the lessons for the first quarter of the school year are already prepared.

"Unang markahan nakakasa na po iyan. 'Yun naman po ang mahalaga eh, ang first batch ng learning modules handa by August 24. Kasi we're contextualizing po ang aming mga materyales ngayon na nakadisenyo," Umali said.

Procurement of gadgets

In terms of provision of necessary gadgets to teachers and students for distance learning, Umali said the DepEd is still looking for ways to fund such effort through realignment of budget subject to existing laws.

"We don't have funds to procure laptops or gadgets, the way we are talking about it right now to the use in light of the COVID-19 pandemic po," he said, underscoring that all expenses must be in line with the General Appropriations Act.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, chair of the Senate committee of education, said the "risk of not learning" must be addressed amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

"'In my point of view whatever calamity, whether man-made, whether derived from human action, learning must go on," he said.

"The risk of not learning is something we cannot bear because it has far reaching deep consequences to our country and the nation’s development," he added.

The DepEd announced that classes, through blended forms of learning, will start on August 24. No face-to-face classes will be held but delivery of lessons will not be limited to online platforms, according to education officials.

Around 14.4 million K-12 students have already enrolled in public and private schools nationwide as of June 25, based on data from the DepEd. — RSJ, GMA News