Addressing effects of Covid-19 among Filipino learners

The continuing casualty of the Covid-19 pandemic is children’s education. The Philippines was one of five countries that failed to immediately start in-person schooling when the pandemic began. The United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said that 27 million students were affected. Unicef laments that while classes resume in most parts of the world, schools in the Philippines remain closed. It noted that in 2020, schools globally were fully closed for an average of 79 teaching days. Schools in the Philippines, however, remained closed for more than a year, and when classes resumed, three modalities were executed: modular distance learning, online distance learning and TV or radio-based instruction.

Most parents and students chose online and modular learning. However, problems became apparent when the majority of students lacked the appropriate gadgets, like cellphones and laptops, for online learning. Some local government units, such as Quezon City, provided tablets for students in need who were required to return the units after the school year. The telcos were not ready to accommodate the upsurge of users, and there was a lack of signals in many urban and rural areas. On the other hand, modular distance learning required the printing and distribution of modules, which made parents nervous due to the aggravating pandemic.

I find it reasonable that our government prioritizes the health and safety issues of the population. Governments were not ready for a world pandemic, even in this time and age. Even advanced countries had to contend with the complications of the pandemic, and they lost thousands or millions of their citizens, too. It is not only education that suffers but more so the livelihood of all people, regardless of race and employment. The economy is on the rebound. Philippine businesses are fast recovering from a post pandemic situation, as evident in the "revenge travel" during long holidays such as what transpired during Holy Week.

While all facets of society are recovering, the pandemic continues to impact children’s education and learning. The closure of schools due to disasters or other emergences results in learning losses that extend way beyond the disaster period. The Covid pandemic, therefore, is a disaster of untold proportions that also results in an unquantifiable loss of learning.

Currently, the Philippines is suffering from an extreme ‘learning poverty’ brought about by the pandemic. Learning poverty, as defined by the World Bank, means being unable to read and understand a simple text or story by age 10. A pre-pandemic (2019) World Bank study puts the Philippines’ learning poverty at 69.5 percent. In 2021, however, it increased to 91 percent, meaning nine out of 10 Filipino children under the age of 10 are unable to read a simple text. This makes our country have the highest level of learning poverty in East Asia and the Pacific region, according to the World Bank.

This is unfortunate since reading is an important foundation for a student's development. The World Bank stated that all foundational skills are important, but focus should be on reading because of three reasons: (1) reading proficiency is an easily understood measure of learning; (2) reading is a student’s gateway to learning in every other area; and (3) reading proficiency can serve as a proxy for foundational learning in other subjects.

The Global Education Evidence Advisory Panel (GEEAP) said that "the damage to children’s education is likely to reduce children’s wellbeing, including mental health, and productivity for decades, making education disruption one of the biggest threats to medium- and long-term recovery from Covid-19 unless governments act swiftly." Indeed, we are facing a threat, and it is forthcoming: Filipino children are suffering from "learning poverty."

It is fortunate that one of our legislators was able to notice this aspect of the Covid effect. To address the gap and for learning recovery, and aware of the studies of the World Bank, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian is pushing for a learning recovery program that is meant to mitigate the effects of a prolonged lack of face-to-face classes. Gatchalian’s measure is to address the impending long-term crisis brought about by the pandemic in Philippine education. The senator filed Senate Bill 1604, which is known as the ARAL Program. The bill has already cleared the third reading and final approval of the Senate.

The bill aims for the establishment of a national learning intervention program known as Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL). The bill will establish well-systematized tutorial sessions and well-designed intervention plans where learners are provided optimal time to master essential learning competencies and make up for learning loss. It will focus on essential learning competencies in language and mathematics for grades 1–10 and science for grades 3–10. The program shall also focus on strengthening the numeracy and literacy skills of kindergarteners.

The ARAL program covers public school learners who did not enroll starting school year 2020-2021 and those who are below the minimum proficiency levels as required in language, mathematics, and science. Private school learners may also avail themselves of the interventions provided under the program.

To kickstart this program, there is a need for more tutors adept at teaching. To solve this problem, aside from teachers and para-teachers, qualified senior high school and tertiary level students shall be utilized as tutors. Pre-service teachers may also volunteer as tutors.

The bill by Gatchalian values the importance of education. This is not surprising since it is the advocacy of the senator to advance the education of Filipinos. He has authored several education-related laws, such as the GMRC and Values Education Act (Republic Act 1147) and the Instituting a Policy of Inclusion and Services for Learners with Disabilities in Support of Inclusive Education Act (Republic Act 11650). The senator is committed to further pursuing landmark legislation to reverse the crisis in the education sector.

It is known that Filipinos value education the most. We value education so much that it is one of the ways that a family can come out of poverty. I know of many market vendors who go the extra mile just to send their children to school and hope that they become professionals someday. There are many overseas Filipino workers who must endure years of loneliness abroad for the sake of their children’s education. Suffice it to say, our fight against Covid-19 is not yet over. We are picking up the pieces one by one and trying to address their multifaceted effects. The Filipino children’s education is at stake, and it is only appropriate to support government measures that aim to produce quality students.