CHED tells universities: Remember students, professors’ situation in giving out tasks

by Christian Deiparine (Philstar.com), 5 Oct 2020

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Higher Education on Monday said colleges and universities should consider the situation of its students and faculty members in giving out requirements, with many still adapting to changes brought by the coronavirus pandemic.

Chairman Prospero de Vera III said some schools are only taking the same tasks from the face-to-face learning to its online classes despite the agency’s order for a flexible type of strategy.

“Minsan ‘yung same requirement sa face-to-face kino-convert nila to same requirement sa flexible learning. Hindi puwede ‘yun kasi iba na ‘yung oras na gagamitin,” he told broadcaster Ted Failon and DJ Chacha’s new radio show on Radyo5.

(Sometimes schools only adapt the same requirements from face-to-face classes despite the flexible learning. That should not be the case as it is already a different time.)

College students, citing difficulty in internet connection and gadget availability to name a few, have called for an academic freeze amid the ongoing health crisis, but such had been turned down.

De Vera said schools should come up with a learning system that is not solely reliant on the internet.

“Isang mode ng flexible learning ay combination ng online at offline,” he said. “So ang ginawa ng mga eskwelahan gumagawa ng learning modules at dini-distribute sa mga estudyante, iba-ibang version.”

(One way of implementing flexible learning is to come up with online and offline learning. What other schools would do is to create learning modules and distribute it to students, so it varies.)

He also cited Laguna Polytechnic University’s e-learning laboratories made out of school buses that have on-board computers which he said could reach far-flung areas.

The Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges has cited a survey that showed around 44,000 college students may not have enrolled this year as they reel from the impact of the COVID-19.

At least 28 colleges and universities have also reportedly sent requests to CHED to suspend its operations this year.

A PASC survey among students from state universities and colleges also revealed that only around 30% have internet connection, with at least seven percent having no actual gadgets at all.

De Vera also refuted claims that there would be no holiday break for students, but schools should have a balanced academic calendar.

“Ang sabi ko, kailangan mas imaginative ‘yung eskwelahan sa pag-disensyo ng academic calendar kasi ‘yung iba ang konsepto nila kailangan matapos ‘yung first sem sa Disyembre,” he said.

(What I said was schools should be imaginative in coming up with their academic calendars, because others are fixated in finishing the first term in December.)