Manila, Philippines: Millions of students wearing face masks go back to primary and secondary schools Philippines Monday in his first individual classes after two years coronavirus lockdown whose children are at risk of worsening one of the world’s most alarming illiteracy rates.
Officials faced tough problems, including classroom shortages, fears of COVID-19, storms in the north of the country, and earthquake-damaged school buildings that killed more than 27 million students enrolling for the school year. welcomed.
Only more than 24,000 public schools in the country, or about 46%, will be able to open in-person classes five times a week starting Monday, while the rest will still resort to a mix of in-person and online classes until November. 2, when all public and private schools are required to bring all students back to classes, education officials said.
Officials said nearly 1,000 schools will not be able to move to full-fledged face-to-face classes during the transition period ending on November 2 for various reasons, including damage to the school building by a powerful earthquake last month. officials said.
The education department said some schools will have to split classes up to three shifts a day to avoid classroom shortages, a long-standing problem, and overcrowding that turns schools into new epicenters of the coronavirus outbreak. could.
“We always say that we aim for a maximum of two shifts, but there will be areas where we have to resort to three shifts because they are really overcrowded,” said an education department spokesperson. Michael Poa said in a press conference on Friday. Despite several concerns, education officials assured that it is an “all-system go” to resume classes on Monday, he said.
san joeli villanuevaHowever, it said such assurances should be matched with actual reforms at the ground level.
Villanueva, who filed two bills for additional grocery, transportation and medical allowances for public school teachers, said, “The era of missing classes, sharing tables and chairs and holding classes in the shade of trees should no longer be ”
The then President in the Philippines worst affected by the epidemic in Southeast Asia Rodrigo Duterte Enforced one of the world’s longest coronavirus lockdowns and school closures. Duterte, whose six-year term ended on June 30, had turned down calls to reopen in-person classes over fears that it could ignite new outbreaks.
Prolonged school closures raised fears that literacy rates among Filipino children – which were already at alarming levels before the pandemic – could worsen.
A World Bank study last year showed that nine out of 10 children in the Philippines suffered from “learning poverty” or the inability of 10-year-olds to read and understand a simple story.
UNICEF Philippines said in a statement, “Prolonged school closures, poor health risk mitigation and household-income shocks had the greatest impact on learning poverty, resulting in many children in the Philippines learning a simple lesson by the age of 10.” Failed to read and understand.”
The United Nations Agency for Children said, “The situation for children with disabilities such as children with disabilities, children living in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas, and children living in disaster and conflict areas is much worse.”
Poa said 325 temporary “learning places” are being constructed in northern Abra province and outlying areas to replace school buildings affected by the powerful July 27 earthquake.
Education officials scrambled to help more than 28,000 students find new schools after at least 425 private schools were permanently closed since the pandemic’s arrival in 2020, mainly due to financial losses. According to PoA, about 10,000 students are enrolled in public schools.
Poverty has also been a major obstacle in education. Crowds gathered at the offices of the Social Welfare and Development Department on Saturday to claim cash assistance for poor students, injuring at least 26 people, who were pinned at the entrance and ordered its top official. Inspired to go on TV to appeal.
Officials faced tough problems, including classroom shortages, fears of COVID-19, storms in the north of the country, and earthquake-damaged school buildings that killed more than 27 million students enrolling for the school year. welcomed.
Only more than 24,000 public schools in the country, or about 46%, will be able to open in-person classes five times a week starting Monday, while the rest will still resort to a mix of in-person and online classes until November. 2, when all public and private schools are required to bring all students back to classes, education officials said.
Officials said nearly 1,000 schools will not be able to move to full-fledged face-to-face classes during the transition period ending on November 2 for various reasons, including damage to the school building by a powerful earthquake last month. officials said.
The education department said some schools will have to split classes up to three shifts a day to avoid classroom shortages, a long-standing problem, and overcrowding that turns schools into new epicenters of the coronavirus outbreak. could.
“We always say that we aim for a maximum of two shifts, but there will be areas where we have to resort to three shifts because they are really overcrowded,” said an education department spokesperson. Michael Poa said in a press conference on Friday. Despite several concerns, education officials assured that it is an “all-system go” to resume classes on Monday, he said.
san joeli villanuevaHowever, it said such assurances should be matched with actual reforms at the ground level.
Villanueva, who filed two bills for additional grocery, transportation and medical allowances for public school teachers, said, “The era of missing classes, sharing tables and chairs and holding classes in the shade of trees should no longer be ”
The then President in the Philippines worst affected by the epidemic in Southeast Asia Rodrigo Duterte Enforced one of the world’s longest coronavirus lockdowns and school closures. Duterte, whose six-year term ended on June 30, had turned down calls to reopen in-person classes over fears that it could ignite new outbreaks.
Prolonged school closures raised fears that literacy rates among Filipino children – which were already at alarming levels before the pandemic – could worsen.
A World Bank study last year showed that nine out of 10 children in the Philippines suffered from “learning poverty” or the inability of 10-year-olds to read and understand a simple story.
UNICEF Philippines said in a statement, “Prolonged school closures, poor health risk mitigation and household-income shocks had the greatest impact on learning poverty, resulting in many children in the Philippines learning a simple lesson by the age of 10.” Failed to read and understand.”
The United Nations Agency for Children said, “The situation for children with disabilities such as children with disabilities, children living in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas, and children living in disaster and conflict areas is much worse.”
Poa said 325 temporary “learning places” are being constructed in northern Abra province and outlying areas to replace school buildings affected by the powerful July 27 earthquake.
Education officials scrambled to help more than 28,000 students find new schools after at least 425 private schools were permanently closed since the pandemic’s arrival in 2020, mainly due to financial losses. According to PoA, about 10,000 students are enrolled in public schools.
Poverty has also been a major obstacle in education. Crowds gathered at the offices of the Social Welfare and Development Department on Saturday to claim cash assistance for poor students, injuring at least 26 people, who were pinned at the entrance and ordered its top official. Inspired to go on TV to appeal.