‘No fail policy’ in distance learning hit

By Javier Joe Ismael, Manila Times, 7 Feb 2021

SEN. Sherwin Gatchalian on Saturday opposed a “no fail policy” in distance learning, saying that its long-term impact might do more harm than good to the academic performance of learners.

“Hindi ako sang-ayon diyan dahil may mga bata talagang mahina, halimbawa, sa Math, Reading o sa Science. Dapat nating malaman ‘yun para matulungan natin sila. Kung ipapasa mo lahat, paano mo malalaman kung saan siya mahina (I do not agree with that because there are children who are really weak, for example, in Math, Reading or in Science. We should know this so we can help them. If you let them all pass, how would you know in what subjects they are weak)?” Gatchalian said.

“Imbes na matulungan natin sila, lalo lang natin silang pahihirapan pag-akyat na sa susunod na baitang. ‘Yung mga pagsasanay sa iba’t-ibang mga subjects ay para malaman kung saan po sila mahina (Instead of helping them, we are making it hard for them to climb to the next level. The tests in the different subjects are being conducted in order to determine in what subjects they are weak),” he added.

Gatchalian, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture, emphasized that the goal of continuing education, even amid challenging conditions brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, is to ensure that the country’s more than 25 million learners in the basic education sector are learning enough and will be adequately prepared for their next level of schooling.

The senator also reiterated that the assessment of learners should focus not only on the competencies that they are acquiring, but also on areas where they are struggling with.

This would help schools identify learners in need of remedial programs that address learning gaps and losses. Learners who proceed to the next grade level without receiving interventions in areas where they are weak will continue underperforming, the senator warned.

Gatchalian recalled that K to 12 learners are already struggling in mastering basic competencies before the Covid-19 pandemic, recalling the results of three international large-scale assessments, namely the 2018 Program for International Student Assessment, the Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics 2019, and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study 2019.

Filipino learners trailed behind their global counterparts in all three assessments.

In a recent hearing at the House of Representatives, officials from the Department of Education rejected the proposal anew to implement a no fail policy system.

Duterte declares May 18 ‘National Higher Education Day’

In a related development, President Rodrigo Duterte has signed into law a bill declaring May 18 of every year as “National Higher Education Day.”

Republic Act (RA) 11522 that Duterte signed on Friday, declared the 18th day of May as
“National Higher Education Day” to commemorate the founding anniversary of the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd).

“The CHEd shall be the lead agency in charge of the preparation and implementation of an annual program of activities and advocacy campaign for the observance of the ‘National Higher Education Day’,” the new law reads.

The CHEd, created on May 18, 1994 through the passage of RA 7722, is the agency tasked to formulate and recommend development plans, priorities, and programs on higher education.

It is also mandated to set minimum standards for programs and institutions of higher learning recommended by panels of experts in the field and subject to a public hearing.

Meanwhile, RA 11522 enjoined all higher education institutions to provide full support and assistance to the preparation of the annual program of activities and events to be conducted by CHED in observance of National Higher Education Day.

The new law also ordered all heads of government agencies and instrumentalities, public and private educational institutions, private employers, and industry associations to afford sufficient time and opportunities for their students or employees to engage and participate in any activity related to the celebration of National Higher Education Day.

A copy of RA 11522, which was released to the media on Friday night, takes effect 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two newspapers of general circulation, whichever comes earlier.

Prior to its enactment as a law, RA 11522 was passed by the Senate as Senate Bill 1216 on August 19, 2020 and adopted by the House of Representatives as an amendment to House Bill 4851 on November 16, 2020. — With reports from CATHERINE S. VALENTE