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Open in new tab (Submission to the Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture, 10 June 2020)
The issue on access to quality and equitable education is more challenging now and even after the lockdown that may bring a “new normal” lifestyle like social distancing, wearing masks, and frequent hand washing. How could and would marginalized, excluded, and vulnerable learners adapt into this high technology learning? How would they practice frequent hand washing if there’s shortage of water supply in schools and their houses? Even if the home-based study is implemented, physical distancing is still an issue since most of the houses of urban poor learners are too small averaging to about 15 square meters with an average of 5 members of the family. How would the well being of teachers be addressed? Would these learning modes lessen or increase their workload?
Aside from almost 28 millions affected students in public and private schools, and more than 2 millions ALS enrollees, this pandemic also affected indigenous people, and about 3.8 million Filipinos age 6 to 24 years old were out-of-school children and youth (OOSCY) and 12.8 million Filipinos age 31-59 years old have not completed their basic education (2016 Annual Poverty Indicators Survey, APIS).
Learners with disabilities are the most vulnerable in this pandemic. The budget appropriation for Disability specific appropriations for Learners with Disabilities (LWDs) is only 0.44% of the annual Department of Education (DepEd) budget. While this pandemic has certainly disrupted society’s normal functions, and is disproportionately affecting marginalized sectors and the learners within them, it is high time to look for creative, alternative solutions to learning, and advocate for reforms and improvements in the education sector.