Some private schools determined to resume classes in June amid COVID-19
Published April 27, 2020, 2:51 PM
Despite the disruptions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic in the education sector, some private schools expressed their intent to start classes in June by implementing multi-modal approach to learning.
The Federation of Associations of Private School Administrators (FAPSA) said that its member schools are eyeing opening of classes in June as they are ready to implement various teaching and learning strategies.
FAPSA president Eleazardo Kasilag noted that in a recent virtual consultation with the officials of the Department of Education (DepEd) held recently, the group “declared its intention to open most classes” for School Year (SY) 2021-2021 in June. This is way earlier than the school opening eyed by DepEd in August or the recommendation of the Inter Agency Task Force on Infectious Emerging Diseases (IATD-IED) to hold classes in September.
“FAPSA member schools have sound connectivity and the students have the required gadget to allow them to catch up with modular lessons installed in the gadget,” Kasilag said. “Some private schools have been doing this tablet education almost a decade ago [and] our teachers are also exposed to this and may need only refresher course,” he added.
Member-schools of FAPSA have almost three million students in 3,000 private schools. Kasilag also expressed confidence that FAPSA member-schools can “observe the mandate of the new normal in social distancing” to curb spread of the novel coronavirus.
Kasilag explained that if private schools are allowed to open classes in June, this is still “within the bound of the law” or the Republic Act (RA) 7977, Section 3 citing that classes may start not earlier than the first Monday of June and not later than the last day of August. “Even in the traditional set-up, June opening is the rule,” he explained.
Multi-modal approach, keeping private schools alive
Kasilag said that FAPSA member-schools intend to implement multi-modal approach to learning amid challenges brought about by COVID-19.
“Some of our members will offer blended learning where students at some time may come to report face to face for lessons needing peer-group discussion like science experiments in lab but most subjects, proven with our modules, like English, Filipino, History, etc., students can stay at home,” Kasilag said. “Other private schools will just have eLearning or Home-based education,” he added.
Kasilag noted that the early enrollment also facilitates teachers’ financial handicap, which rendered them idle and penniless since lockdown looms in mid-March. “We need to attend to them subsequently school administrators are also helpless as both of us are victims of COVID-19,” he said.
If private schools are allowed to open in June, Kasilag said that private schools may still be able to keep their operations running despite suspension of classes in the last school year. “I personally believe that private schools can recover from lost enrolment. This is because parents who do not wish to expose kids to classroom congestion in public schools, have limited option either to enrol them in tablet education, which FAPSA schools offer or they may wish to sit out the entire school year to wait until the vaccine comes,” he added.
Meanwhile, Kasilag said that further discussions have to be made when it comes to younger learners. “We need to consult with DepEd about preschool [because] we are aware that it would be very difficult for kinder kids to do homeschooling or even with tablet,” he explained. “This only becomes possible if the parents are willing to sacrifice work to help schools really tutor their kids,” he ended.
Earlier, Kasilag warned further delay in school opening, whether August or September, will kill smaller private schools due to revenue losses and exodus of teachers, among others.
