MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Education (DepEd) is studying how to permanently implement blended learning as a mode of instruction to address classroom shortages and class suspensions due to natural disasters–– perennial problems that have hounded the education sector even before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Education Undersecretary Michael Poa said that DepEd is looking at the possibility of suspending only in-person classes during disasters, then continue it with alternative delivery modes, whether they are modules or online learning.

“As the President mentioned, there were lessons learned during the pandemic. Before, we didn’t know that blended learning was possible. Online learning is possible, distance learning is possible. So now, we need to use those lessons learned from the pandemic to address the issues of basic education,” Poa said in a forum in Pasay City on Wednesday, July 26.

Blended learning will also be a quick fix to classroom congestion, as the government works to build more classrooms. Poa said that DepEd has been building more classrooms and hiring more teachers for years, but the shortages remain.

“So we think that we have to innovate. We need to find more effective means to address gaps quickly,” he said.

Quality

In a chance interview with Rappler, Poa said that DepEd is already set on institutionalizing blended learning, but the timing would have to be studied.

“We need to ensure that once we implement it, it will actually be effective. We can’t just haphazardly implement blended learning yet it’s ineffective, and we will go back to our problem on quality of education,” he said.

Implementing blended learning includes providing technology like laptops to students and ensuring internet connectivity in schools. But since the DepEd cannot provide laptops to all 28.4 million learners, it would still need the help of local government units and private sector partners, according to Poa.

More examples of how blended learning will continue is DepEd’s “e-learning cart” program, which deploys rolling carts with laptops and smart TVs around classrooms.

DepEd faced a number of controversies as it implemented blended learning during the pandemic. In May, a Rappler investigation showed that negligence and possible corruption at the department under the Duterte administration caused laptops intended for public school teachers to end up being sold in retail stores.

The Philippines is also getting out of a learning crisis that was exacerbated by the pandemic. In 2019, the World Bank found that the Philippines had a learning poverty rate of 69.5%. By 2021, learning poverty rose to 91%, which meant that nine out of 10 Filipino children under age 10 cannot read a simple text. – Rappler.com