Filipino kids are back in school after two years
Stormy weather greeted some Luzon schools on the first day of classes for the academic year 2022-2023. (Photo: Rappler)
August 22 was the first day that the majority of schools in the Philippines reopened their doors to students after two years since the COVID-19 outbreak. For this academic school year, schools are allowed to implement full face-to-face, blended learning, or full distance learning from August 22 to October 31 with all basic education schools expected to fully transition to face-to-face classes by November 2.
In a speech, Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte called the opening of classes a “victory for basic education.” For Duterte, it’s time to bring students back into the classroom as the Philippines reopens amid the pandemic.
“Kailangan na po natin silang maibalik sa in-person learning dahil sa in-person learning makakakuha ng makahulugan, sapat, o wasto at dekalidad na edukasyon na kailangan nila para sa kalinangan ng kanilang pag-iisip at kakayanan bilang mga indibiduwal na magiging katuwang ng pamahalaan sa pagtatag ng isang malakas na bansa,” said Duterte.
(We need to bring students back to in-person learning because it is through in-person learning that our students can get meaningful, appropriate, or proper and quality education needed for the culture of their minds and abilities as individuals who will become the government’s partners in nation-building.)
First week funk and floods
Early starts, heavy traffic (not helped by officials saying not to bring their kids “too early” to avoid traffic accidents), and separation from parents were among the first impressions of Monday. Just ask this young girl interviewed by Jose Carretero of ABS-CBN.
Previously, teacher groups appealed to DepEd to move the opening of classes to mid-September or early October to give more time for preparation. Duterte said these calls were considered but the opening of classes pushed through after consultations with school administrators.
Large class sizes, lack of teachers, and insufficient classrooms have been a problem even before COVID-19 and are reemerging now that faculty and pupils are in the same room again.
“Our general situation now is we have classrooms of 40-50 students, taught by teachers with seven to eight teaching loads plus ancillary duties,” Alliance of Concerned Teachers chairperson Vladimer Quetua said.
One viral report on Monday drew the attention of authorities after Inquirer reporter Jane Bautista posted about Jose Abad Santos High School students who were made to sit on the floor due to a lack of armchairs for the whole class. The Manila Public Information Office called this fake news. According to the school principal, there is no shortage of chairs–rather, lapses in communication and initiative between staff led to some students having no chairs. The allegations were backed up by witnesses and the president of the Jose Abad Santos High School Faculty and Employees Association.
Thessalyn Samson, a public school teacher, used her personal money to transform a stockroom into her classroom to accommodate her students. Netizens praised Samson for her resourcefulness but called on the government to make these improvements themselves.
“TL; DR: Another case of "Filipino resilience" compensating for the government's shortcomings,” commented one Facebook user.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, rainfall brought on by Typhoon Florita caused a suspension of classes on Monday and Tuesday. In areas where classes were not suspended, lectures were held in ankle-deep floods. Parents had to carry their children out of their schools. School’s in session—even for fish swimming through flooded classrooms.
Bad omens for Philippine education
The World Bank reported in July that nine out of 10 Filipino children struggle with reading simple texts at age 10. Learning poverty in the country is the highest in East Asia and the Pacific region. This has been a trend since even before the pandemic shifted learning online, raising alarms of a worsening education state. Teachers expressed hope that face-to-face classes will help them gauge and address learning gaps.
The Philippines’ public education spending was also evaluated as lower than other countries.
“Primary education expenditure per child of primary education age in the Philippines is $569, which is 83.5% below the average for East Asia and the Pacific region, and 29.5% below the average for lower-middle income countries,” the World Bank said. In the 2023 National Budget proposed by the Department of Budget and Management, education is among the administration’s priorities at P852.8 billion.
Learners and educators face a crisis that could spell disaster for the Philippines if left unattended. We’ve got years of work ahead to catch Filipino students up with the rest of the world. And at the center of it all are the children, has anyone even checked if the kids are alright?
