Gatchalian bucks ‘nationwide’ academic break, says schools can choose to suspend classes themselves

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Monday said the decision to implement academic breaks amid stricter quarantine protocols should come from basic education and higher education institutions themselves.

This, as he opposed calls for a "nationwide" academic break in schools due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the country.

In a statement, Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate basic education committee, said that poor and vulnerable learners will only be left behind due to the additional class disruptions that the nationwide academic break will cause.

He added that prolonged school closures will only result in learning loss, widening inequalities, and increase exposure to violence, among others.

“I don't agree with the call to implement a nationwide academic break. Iba-iba naman ang quarantine qualification at may mga lugar na walang lockdown. Mahirap naman pong mag-academic freeze sa isang lugar na walang kaso ng COVID-19. Kaya hindi pwede itong academic freeze para sa pangkalahatan dahil iba-iba ang sitwasyon,” Gatchalian said.

(I don't agree with the call to implement a nationwide academic break. We have different quarantine qualifications and there are areas with no lockdown. It's difficult to implement an academic freeze in areas with no COVID-19 cases. So we can't implement an overall academic freeze because we have different situations.)

“Sa basic education, isang taon nang hindi nagpupunta sa mga eskwelahan ang mga bata at kapag sila ay patuloy na bibigyan ng break at hindi sila mag-aaral, talagang makakalimutan na nila ang kanilang pinag-aralan,” he added.

(In basic education, students have not gone to school for one year already and if we allow another academic break, they will forget what they learned.)

Gatchalian pointed out that in Isabela, where a general community quarantine is in effect, the Department of Education has suspended the distribution and retrieval of self-learning modules and other face-to-face activities following the death of five DepEd personnel due to COVID-19.

He, nevertheless, said teachers in the said division are expected to remotely continue their follow-ups and monitoring of students.

Meanwhile, some colleges and universities in the NCR Plus bubble have suspended their classes or implemented academic ease amid the rising COVID-19 cases, including the University of Santo Tomas, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, Cavite State University, and De La Salle University.

Gatchalian said that while the NCR Plus is now placed under modified enhanced community quarantine until the end of April, most of the country is under the less strict general community quarantine and modified general community quarantine where distance or flexible learning can still continue. — Erwin Colcol/RSJ, GMA News