THE HARD and long lockdowns in the country, considered one of the most stringent in the world by far, following the coronavirus outbreak in March 2020 had prompted the Department of Education (DepEd) to halt in-person classes nationwide and shift to online learning as a way to ensure that students and faculty members are safe and protected.
But a recent World Bank report, “Remote Learning During COVID-19: Lessons for Today,” showed that lack of access to the internet and slow connection had adversely affected the education of Filipino schoolchildren, as it noted that nine out 10 pupils cannot read. This means that the country’s learning poverty is now at a high of 90% by August 2021, from 69.5% before the pandemic, according to World Bank estimates. Distance learning in the Philippines only covered 20% of households with schoolchildren, it added, similar to Ethiopia, the lowest rate.
This is the painful reality of remote learning implemented nationwide even in areas where there are no or low cases of COVID-19. The state of education before the pandemic was already alarming; now our students suffer from the chaotic implementation of distance learning.
With no signs of the pandemic easing any time soon, hybrid learning will surely continue for some time. There must be a massive investment for faster internet speed and wider coverage to make connectivity accessible to more students.
Data from World Bank showed only 26.9 percent of students in the country have access to the internet. What about the more than 70 percent who do not have gadgets and/or internet at all – and occasionally no electricity, too? Will we just let them stay unschooled?
Even as we enter the new normal, expect that distance learning modalities will be here for quite some time. So there must be a better internet service across the country to close some gaps in distance schooling.
