STUDENTS MISS IN-PERSON CLASSES

Rather than the overused face-to-face term SLT and peerscope prefer the more soothing “in-person” to describe next year’s classes, especially for the pre-school, the elementary, the junior and senior high school students.
Those whom I talked with who are directly concerned with the school children – like the parents, guardians and teachers – were one in saying that the module method of teaching had more disadvantages. Most notably, parents and guardians were one in complaining that the children lacked interest in accomplishing their modules. As a consequence, they had to do the assignment themselves, while the children are playing games with their friends. Unfortunately, this often interferes with their home chores, notably those in the kitchen. Fortunately however, there had been established a better and closer rapport and coordination among parents, guardians and teachers.
Most of those I had conversed with, junior and senior high students, missed the more interesting atmosphere of having sir and ma’am personally present in the four corners of the classroom. They said that in-person presence really makes class discussions alive and highly productive. The live discussion of issues and the give-and-take of ideas and opinions enliven moments of learning.
It’s a fact that those who have no laptops are disadvantaged in on-line classes. They had to go to their classmates having those gadgets for class updates, exchange of opinions and being informed of the next class assignments. Being deprived of the gadgets and the lack of money for loading them must have adverse psychological effects on the young minds.
It was reported that the Philippines lags behind other Asian countries in implementing this return to face-to-face classes. We are supposed to have a highly established educational system, yet we are now on the tail-end of the learning process, notably in English and Science, compared to some of our Asian neighbors.
Our young students have the energy but their lack of interest pulls them down in the learning process which places heavier burden on their pandemic-stressed parents, guardians and teachers.
Parents had been unreasonably disturbed by their children becoming obstinate in refusing to accomplish their modules which for many times were submitted late. That they themselves have become students is very disconcerting for they could not anymore manage the home like they used to. Some of them have hired other people to do the modules for their children. According to them, their children have no regard as to the submission whether on time or past the deadline. After all, the children will still pass on the next grade level.
The quality of learning has now been degraded to mere compliance with modules and the appearance on-line for roll calls.
We must hurry up in returning to those standards of educating our students in pre-pandemic years. By Joe Mancera