As early as now, the country’s education stakeholders should convene and craft a program to help students catch up on lost learning opportunities once face-to-face classes resume.
“I hope that the government starts the conversation soon. We educators are very much willing to partner with them so that our children can make up for lost time,” Philippine Educators Alliance for Community Empowerment (PEACE) Party-list President Marie Paz T. Abante said.
A recent study by the Asian Development Bank said that the shift to a remote learning system due to the pandemic has resulted in learning losses, stunting of future job opportunities, and income decline.
“The shift to a remote learning system due to the pandemic has resulted in learning losses, stunting of future job opportunities, and income decline.”
According to the Learning and Earning Losses from COVID-19 School Closures in Developing Asia report published in April, school closures have hampered the development of the youth’s vital cognitive, social, physical and emotional skills.
“School closures have hampered the development of the youth’s vital cognitive, social, physical and emotional skills.”
The study said these would lead to long-term losses, which may also stunt future job opportunities and result to an income decline worth about $180 (around ₱8,600) yearly.
“We have to pull out all the stops to mitigate such a disaster.”
“We have to pull out all the stops to mitigate such a disaster. Let us not allow the future of this country and the new generation to be shrouded in bleakness under our watch,” said Abante.
Education stakeholders should be systematic and use all the tools that science and technology provide in creating the catch-up program, she also said.
“Mag-ambagan sana tayo ng lakas para matugunan ang krisis na nagbabanta sa kinabukasan ng mga bata,” Abante said.
