MANILA, Philippines – The Makati City government will give 85,000 public school students printed and online modules, and daily 5-hour internet load to help them in their distance learning for school year 2020-2021.

Makati Mayor Abby Binay said on Tuesday, June 23 that the program covers preschool to senior high school students of city’s public schools. They will each receive a learner’s package with an On-The-Go (OTG) flash drive with learning modules developed by the Department of Education (DepEd) Makati, printed modules, and two washable face masks.

The learner’s package and free 5-hour internet load will be on top of other benefits Makati students are already receiving from the city government, like free uniforms, leather and rubber shoes, and school supplies.

Just like their students, Makati public school teachers will be given free internet load for their online lessons. Parents will also get journals with guidelines on how to assist their children in distance learning.

“The city government has been actively involved in current efforts of the Department of Education to ensure that quality education continues to be accessible to the youth amidst the crisis. We are committed to making the blended learning approach work to the advantage of our students, through equipping them with the right tools,” Binay said in a statement.  

DepEd is implementing a distance learning approach in the upcoming school year amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Philippines has a over 30,000 infections as of Monday, June 22.   

Modules accessible online and offline

The OTG flash drive that the students will get is a type of flash drive that has USB connectors suitable for use in a smartphone, tablet, laptop, desktop, or a smart television to access the digital learning modules.

Every week, teachers will be directed to upload the lessons on the flash drive, which will then be claimed by parents along with the printed modules designed to complement the concepts to be taught under each school subject.

If the students do not have access to gadgets, printed versions of the DepEd Makati modules will be given to them instead.

Makati public school students have until June 30 to enroll for SY 2020-2021. They may do so online through the Schools Division Office-Makati or SDO-Makati OnE application. Those who prefer enrolling in person should fill out the Learning Enrollment and Survey Form available in public schools and barangay halls in the city. The accomplished form should then be submitted at the concerned school’s designated drop box for enrollment. 

Concerns have already been raised against DepEd’s move to implement distance learning, with parents, teachers, and even learners arguing that online lessons would further disadvantage poor students.  President Rodrigo Duterte himself doubted whether the country would be ready to implement this in the coming months.

Some local government units have since come up with their own initiatives to assist students, parents, and teachers carry out distance learning. – Rappler.com