Grade and high-school students in the Philippines yesterday began classes at home after the COVID-19 pandemic forced remote learning onto an educational system already struggling to fund schools.
The shift to distance-learning has been a logistical nightmare for the Southeast Asian nation that has long lacked enough classrooms, teachers and educational equipment.
A majority of families, especially from poor and rural communities, have opted to use government-provided digital or printed learning materials, which students read at home with the guidance of their parents or guardians before carrying out specified activities.
Photo: AP
Most lack computers and reliable Internet connections. Teachers answer questions by telephone.
The rest have opted for lessons online, or through regional radio and TV educational broadcasts.
“The system may not be perfect and there may be issues as we shift to flexible learning ... but we are confident that the Department of Education would address these challenges,” Philippine presidential spokesman Harry Roque said.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has said that school classes should resume only when a COVID-19 vaccine has been made available, fearing classrooms could become infection hotspots.
The Philippines yesterday had reported 322,497 COVID-19 infections, the highest in Southeast Asia, with 5,776 deaths.
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