SAFETY OVER QUALITY

How can the school ensure the safety of the students while maintaining the quality of our education? After 2 years of online classes, Bagong Silangan High School (BSHS) finally resumes face-to-face classes with necessary adjustment to accommodate its large student population amidst COVID-19 pandemic.

One of the key adjustments for students at BSHS is their new schedule, which is organized in different sets: Set A, the first six sections attend Monday and Wednesday classes. Set B, attends Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday classes and Set C attends Tuesday and Thursday classes. This change can be challenging for students as they adapt to a new routine and balance their workload across different days of the week.

To compensate for the reduced school week, set A attends school for a full day. By extending their learning hours, these students are able to maintain a competitive edge and keep up with the rigorous academic demands of their curriculum. However, Set B and Set C continue to attend classes for half a day, which can be challenging for some students to keep up with the lessons.

Checking temperatures, wearing facemasks, and social distancing are one of the safety measures the school had observed. Arranging the chairs to maintain social distancing was also effectively implemented as there are less students inside the classroom. By maintaining a safe distance from one another, students can significantly reduce the risk of spreading the virus. This allows the school to transition to face-to-face learning while taking into account the possible risks posed to students by COVID-19.

However, for set A students, it is unrealistic to expect students to maintain their concentration for 11 hours straight, even with two 15-minute breaks. This can lead to exhaustion and negatively impact their academic performance. Additionally, students are often burdened with homework, projects, and household chores after class, which can leave them feeling overwhelmed and stressed. the students but also the teachers greatly. Limiting the connection between students and teachers also seems to put a hindrance on learning outside of the classroom. It is restraining the teachers from sharing and teaching their students through social media. Since education was not limited to the four walls of the classroom. It also goes beyond and above by reaching and involving the students. While the order may have the benefit of the doubt, we cannot dispute that the way it was carried out was not. Instead of focusing more on limiting the connection or interaction between the teachers and students, Why not put more effort into making the environment between teachers and students stronger or more effective so that everyone may benefit from it?

In order to mitigate the adverse impact of the current schedule, BSHS must provide students with a one-hour break throughout the day, as opposed to the previous 30-minute break. According to the University of North Carolina, taking regular breaks can reduce stress, enhance focus, as well as replenish our energy. This helps us to perform much better if we have regular breaks.

In addition, having a half day schedule for set B and Set C students, only to attend 3 days a week can result in less time of learning, thus affecting their academic performance. Even with the additional asynchronous activities which are somehow left untouched due to volumes works both at home and school.

With the resumption of face-to-face classes and the new schedule, BSHS administrators must have a consultative meeting to get the nod of its stakeholders. Furthermore, it is important to consider the potential negative impact of the schedule, as it will deteriorate both students academic performances as well as their well-being. We should prioritize the safety of the students without the cost of the quality education that they deserve.

The internet has gone through commotion caused by teachers and students remarks as well as complaints since the Department of Education issued an order on November 2, 2022, that seeks to promote professionalism among its personnel. Limiting the friendly relationship between teachers and students outside of school hours, especially on social media.

While DepEd Order 49 Series of 2022 urges teachers to strengthen professionalism in their delivery of basic education programs, we can not deny its cons as the teachers play a vital role in students’ lives. The order can only be seen as complicated to swallow by both teachers and students, just like a poison apple.

Therefore, teachers help their students by providing them with direction in life, guiding them in recognizing their own strengths and abilities, and encouraging them to develop into the best versions of themselves. For the students, teachers have served as their second parents. They serve as a second mother, father, brother, or sister within or outside the school, even for those who do not have one. They built a strong connection that might lose because of this order. One thing is for sure: it is essential to interact with their pupils.

This prevents the interaction between teachers and students. But are not teachers supposed to be the second parents that support and guide students in their lives? Does this mean that the teachers will just disregard their students’ concerns, difficulties, and complaints? How can they “serve and perform one’s duties and responsibilities in a prompt, courteous, and fair manner,” if there are orders that prohibit them from communicating on social media? This seems to affect not only

Students can talk about their personal experiences, including challenges, and ask for helpful advice. Additionally, building a rapport with them through social interaction will increase their enthusiasm to study. Both pupils and educators would greatly benefit by focusing on a more crucial problem or addressing issues like schools’ lack of facilities and learning resources. If they want this order to be far more effective, they must act with consideration and in everyone’s best interests, not just a small group of chosen individuals. DepEd should allow the communication between teachers and students at all times and at all costs.