ILOILO – A Panay-based group is calling on the government to safely reopen schools amid the threat of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
On Sept. 13, Back To School (BTS) Network, a network of youth organizations, submitted their fourth petition to the regional offices of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and Department of Education (DepEd), and to Cong. Julienne Baronda of Iloilo City.
“A year has already gone since flexible learning was first implemented. Yet the situation of the education sector remains as it had been in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic struck the nation,” the group said.
“It is the students and teachers who again carry the brunt of the anti-poor flexible learning for another academic year,” it added.
The group urges the public to “amplify the call for a safe, quality, and democratic education” by signing the petition through https://bit.ly/LigtasBalikEskwela.
The BTS Network said it must be ensured that schools enforce the minimum health standards. There should be health clinics with adequate facilities, medicine and vitamins and health and sanitation personnel.
They added that the government must also allot additional budget for the education sector for more classrooms, comfort rooms, canteens, and spaces for sports.
Additional teaching and non-teaching personnel are also needed.
The government should also allot subsidies for small private educational institutions for the salary and benefits of their teaching and non-teaching personnel, the group said.
“Free, quality and accessible” education for state universities and colleges (SUCs) and other public schools must be ensured, while tuition and other fees increase especially for the private schools must be prohibited, they said.
The group also called on the government to give an “immediate P10,000” aid for all the students to help with the expenses for their gadgets, internet connection and tuition and other school fees.
While the safe resumption of physical classes is being implemented, the group stressed that the government should ensure that there are remedial classes for the students.
It added that while preparing for the safe reopening of schools, educational facilities such as libraries, laboratories and classrooms should be opened.
They further urged the government to ensure the representation of students, parents, teaching and non-teaching personnel, and other educational stakeholders in committees and discussions./PN
