WEATHER-RELATED class suspensions could deepen the country’s learning crisis, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said.
With at least 20 weekdays of face-to-face instruction gone over the past 30 days, Gatchalian urged a shift from blanket school closures to more localized and targeted suspensions.
He warned that repeated disruptions could deepen the country’s learning crisis, citing data from the Second Congressional Commission on Education indicating that students have been losing an average of 30 to 50 class days out of the 180-day school calendar over the past two years because of class suspensions.
”This is concerning. While we know that class suspensions seek to ensure the safety of learners and teachers, widespread disruption to classes can aggravate learning loss,” Gatchalian said.
He said schools should remain open in areas that are not directly affected by calamities, provided conditions are safe for learners, teachers and school personnel.
”While we ensure the welfare of our students during calamities, we must also ensure that education continues in safe locations,” he said.
Gatchalian said the government must balance safety measures with the need to preserve precious instructional time, especially as schools continue to grapple with learning gaps in basic literacy, numeracy and other foundational competencies.
He is seeking to institutionalize a more localized approach through Senate Bill 53, or the proposed 21st Century School Boards Act, which would strengthen the role of local school boards in responding to disasters, calamities and emergencies affecting basic education.
Under the measure, local school boards would be responsible for timely, organized and localized interventions to ensure the continued delivery of education during emergencies.
The proposal is intended to allow authorities to respond according to actual conditions in affected communities instead of imposing system-wide suspensions even in areas where classes can safely continue.
