PASIG CITY – Many education experts believe the “blended learning system” may be the new normal in education when classes finally open sometime this year.
The said learning system was one of the recommended learning modalities presented by Department of Education Secretary (DepEd) Leonor Briones to President Rodrigo R. Duterte during their earlier meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) in Malacañang. It combines online or remote learning with modular learning which uses printed materials, and limited face-to-face learning just like the traditional way of teaching.
In order to get ahead in education, the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Pasig City had approved a Php 1.2-billion budget for the procurement of tablet computers for students and laptops for teachers in the coming school year when face-to-face classes between teachers and students may be prohibited finally.
Pasic Mayor Vico Sotto lauded the action of the city council and said in the social media that his office is closely coordinating with the DepEd Division on the date of resumption of classes and the approved learning modality in the new normal.
DepEd earlier set August 24 as the resumption of classes for School Year 2020-2021, but congress is mulling to pass a law giving the president free reign in choosing the date of class opening. In many occasions, the president announced that he would not open classes if a vaccine for the cure of Covid-19 is not found.
Based on the city’s estimate, around 138,000 of the 140,000 elementary and high school students will be given the gadget from the city’s special education fund. This number also includes students from day care, grade school, and special education program of the government, said Vice Mayor Christian Carucho-Bernardo.
Furthermore, City Councilor Corazon Raymundo, chairperson of the committee on education of the city council said each tablet would cost from Php 6,000-Php 7,000 and these would be distributed to the target students once the city gets final words from DepEd officials in their division.
