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PILOT-TEST, ADDRESS ISSUES IN DISTANCE LEARNING – CUA

Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) National President and Quirino Governor Dax Cua on Monday commended the government’s decision to push back the start of public school classes to October 5, and urged the Department of Education (DepEd) to work with local government units (LGUs) to better prepare for the upcoming schoolyear.

According to Cua: “The President made the right call in pushing back the opening of classes.”

“There will be a learning curve here because we really are in uncharted territory here.”

“The additional time should be maximized by the DepEd and those of us in the LGUs to take the steps necessary to iron out any issues relative to the implementation of distance learning,” said Cua.

“This will be the first time this learning mode will be adopted, and we are doing it on a national scale. There will be a learning curve here because we really are in uncharted territory here.”

Cua pointed out that the technical difficulties encountered during DepEd’s virtual launch of distance learning modes on August 10 “highlight the need for DepEd and other stakeholders to pilot-test these modes and hold dry runs before the actual opening of classes in order to observe, identify, and address implementation gaps.”

“Magagamit din natin ang dagdag na oras para ihanda ang mga magulang at mga bata para sa mga pagbabago sa sistema ngayon. Some private schools have already begun classes, and it is obvious that parents really are the ones that have to adjust to education in the new normal,” said the UP alumnus.

The former legislator also said that he was hopeful that loan and subsidy programs under the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act, or Bayanihan 2, would already be in place before classes start on October 5.

“This will be the first time this learning mode will be adopted, and we are doing it on a national scale.”

“Makakatulong din ito sa mga pamilya na hindi pa nakakabili ng device para sa mga anak nila.”

The House recently passed Bayanihan 2 on third reading. Sec. 3(fff) of the measure provides “loan assistance, subsidies, discounts or grants to schools, universities, colleges, technical vocational institutions, teachers, faculties, and students for the purchase of distance learning tools, such as computers, laptops, tablets and other ICT devices and equipment necessary to conduct and access classes and learning materials under alternative delivery modes of teaching and learning in the new normal.”

These will be provided through the DepEd, the CHED and the TESDA, in partnership with government financial institutions and shall have terms that are more reasonable than those prevailing in the market.

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