DepEd eyeing to institutionalize blended learning —official

The Department of Education (DepEd) is seeking to institutionalize blended learning as a permanent mode of learning in the Philippines, an official of the agency said Friday.

In an interview on Balitanghali, DepEd Assistant Secretary Francis Bringas said institutionalizing blended learning will address the lack of classrooms.

“‘Yung ating pag improve ng provision of basic facilities sa ating education has always been in the pipeline at nasa priority lagi ‘yan ng DepEd,” he said.

(Improving basic facilities in education has always been in the pipeline and is always among the priorities of the DepEd.)

“At gaya nga ng sinabi mo na hindi yan mapupunan sa mga susunod na taon, kaya nga we are going to institutionalize already the blended learning. Para kahit hindi natin makunan lahat ng mga gaps na yan ay meron tayong mga intervention na ginagawa,” he added.

(And as you said, these may not be filled up in the following years, so we are going to institutionalize blended learning. So that even if we can’t address all these gaps yet, we have interventions.)

Meanwhile, Bringas said some schools that were flooded are still doing the necessary repairs amid the looming reopening of classes on August 29.

“Yung mga classrooms na hindi pa pwedeng gamitin ay gagawan pa lang nga paraan para malinis habang ‘yung iba naman na pwede ay pwedeng palitan ‘yung ating mga mag aaral dyan using a blended modality,” he said.

He said the agency is coordinating with the local government units and the Department of Public Works and Highways regarding schools in flood-prone areas.

According to Bringas, the agency may also not be able to completely replace textbooks ruined by flooding as stocks have run out.

“Because yung division offices usually have buffer stuck, meron din ang mga regional offices at meron din tayo sa central office. Kung naka report na yan… at walang stock ang division office, ie-elevate yan sa higher offices para mabigyan ng replacement,” he said. —VAL, GMA Integrated News