Press Release
September 11, 2021

Gatchalian: Another year of school closures to have long-term damage to learners, national development

Citing the impact of another year of school closures to the country's learners and to long-term national development, Senator Win Gatchalian pressed the urgency of starting the pilot testing of localized, limited face-to-face classes in low-risk areas.

In 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Bank noted that learning poverty in the Philippines was estimated at 69.5 percent, a figure that could worsen because of school closures. Learning poverty is defined as the share of 10-year-old children who cannot read and understand a simple story.

The World Bank's simulation analysis of learning losses estimates that Learning-Adjusted Years of Schooling (LAYS) will go down from 7.5 years to 5.7 to 6.1 years, an equivalent of 1.4 to 1.7 years. This means that the quality of learning for 12 years of basic education is only equivalent to an effective 5.7 to 6.1 years of schooling. The country's competitiveness would also be undermined because children's economic potential and productivity in adulthood will be affected, warned the World Bank.

"Dapat sa lalong madaling panahon bumalik na tayo sa face-to-face, hindi na natin kaya ang isa pang taon na walang face-to-face. Maraming magulang ang hirap, maraming bata ang hirap, at ang bata po ay hindi natututo," said Gatchalian.

The Department of Education (DepEd) earlier said that 120 schools are lined up for the proposed pilot test of face-to-face classes. The agency is also developing joint guidelines with the Department of Health (DOH) on the reintroduction of in-person learning.

Gatchalian cited the importance of ensuring the capacity of schools to enforce public health protocols, including the installation of adequate water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities. The lawmaker also reiterated the urgency of vaccinating teachers and learners, especially those aged 12-17, to protect them from the threat of the more transmissible Delta variant.

Earlier this year, Gatchalian sponsored the Senate's Adopted Resolution No. 92, which called for the immediate launch of pilot testing of localized limited face-to-face classes in low-risk areas.

# # #

_________________________________________________________________________________

Gatchalian: Isa pang taon ng pagsasara ng mga paaralan magdudulot ng malaking pinsala sa mga mag-aaral

Matinding pinsala. Ito ang nakikita ni Senador Win Gatchalian na magiging epekto sa mga mag-aaral at sa kaunlaran ng bansa kung magkakaroon ng isa pang taong pagsasara ng mga paaralan dahil sa pandemya ng COVID-19.

Kaya naman ayon sa mambabatas, mahalagang masimulan na ang pilot test ng localized at limited face-to-face classes sa mga low-risk areas. Una nang inanusyo ng Department of Education (DepEd) at Department of Health (DOH) na may isang-daan at dalawampung (120) mga paaralang lalahok sa panukalang pilot test ng face-to-face classes. Kasabay nito ang pagbuo ng joint guidelines para matiyak ang ligtas at unti-unting pagbabalik ng face-to-face classes.

Noong 2019, bago pa tumama ang pandemya, ang learning poverty sa bansa ay tinatayang nasa halos pitumpung (69.5) porsyento ayon sa World Bank. Ang learning poverty ay ang porsyento ng mga sampung taong gulang na hindi makapagbasa at makaunawa ng isang simpleng istorya. Dahil sa isang taong pagsasara ng mga paaralan, inaasahang maaari pang lumala ang learning poverty sa bansa ayon sa mga eksperto.

Ayon din sa pagsusuri ng World Bank ng learning losses o ang pag-urong ng kaalaman, maaaring bumaba ang Learning-Adjusted Years of Schooling (LAYS) ng mahigit isa hanggang halos dalawang (1.4 hanggang 1.7) taon. Ang dating halos walong (7.5) taong katumbas ng pag-aaral ay maaaring bumaba sa humigit-kumulang anim na taon (5.7 hanggang 6.1) na lamang. Ibig sabihin, ang kalidad ng pag-aaral para sa labing-dalawang taon (12) ng basic education ay magiging katumbas na lamang ng humigit-kumulang anim na taon (5.7 hanggang 6.1).

Babala pa ng World Bank, maaaring maapektuhan ang competitiveness ng buong bansa. Ito ay dahil posibleng mabawasan ang maaaring maging kita ng mga kabataan kapag sila ay naghahanapbuhay na.

"Dapat sa lalong madaling panahon ay bumalik na tayo sa face-to-face classes, hindi na natin kaya ang isa pang taon na walang face-to-face. Maraming magulang ang hirap, maraming bata ang hirap, at ang bata po ay hindi natututo," ani Gatchalian.

Ngunit ayon sa mambabatas, dapat tiyakin ang kahandaan ng mga paaralang ipatupad ang mga public health protocols, kabilang ang pagkakaroon ng sapat na pasilidad para sa water, sanitation, and hygiene o WASH. Dahil sa pagkalat ng mas nakakahawang Delta variant, dapat din aniyang mabakunahan na ang mga guro at mga mag-aaral, lalo na iyong mga nasa edad na labindalawa (12) hanggang labing-pito (17).

Nitong unang bahagi ng taon, isinulong ni Gatchalian ang Adopted Resolution No. 92 ng Senado. Inirekomenda ng naturang resolusyon ang agarang paglunsad ng pilot testing ng localized limited face-to-face classes sa mga low-risk areas.

# # #

News Latest News Feed