INIREKOMENDA ni Senate President Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto III ang pagsisimula nang muli ng face-to-face classes upang makahabol ang Pilipinas sa mga kapitbahay sa South East Asia.

Inihain ni Sotto ang Senate Resolution No. 663 kasabay ng paggiit na walang ibang kapalit ang face-to-face classes na pinakamabisang paraan upang maiangat ang kalidad ng edukasyon at mabigyan nang maayos na kakayahan ang mga mag-aaral.

“There are deep concerns that while countries whose students had performed well in the past international assessments are already back on track, the Philippines is still lagging behind using the blended learning method, which to many is not an effective means due to lack of access to internet and gadgets by majority of pupils and students,” saad ni Sotto.

Binigyang-diin ni Sotto na sa 150 bansa, ang Pilipinas ang isa sa 14 na hindi pa rin nagbubukas ng mga paaralan.

“As education is the key to any country’s success, there is really a need to start opening up because the Philippines is continually being left behind, being the only country in South East Asia with no face-to-face classes,” giit ni Sotto.

Sa resolution, inirerekomenda ni Sotto ang agarang pagbubukas ng mga paaralan sa mga lugar na mababa o walang kaso ng COVID-19.

Nais din ni Sotto na ipaubaya sa local school boards, partikular ang Provincial School Board, City School Board, at Municipal School Board ang pagsasagawa ng assessment at rekomendasyon sa face-to-face classes.

Sa datos, 433 na lungsod at munisipalidad sa buong bansa ang walang COVID-19 cases.

“I am fully aware that the threat of COVID-19 remains high, there are also reports that the virus is mutating and more variants are being discovered. But we cannot sacrifice the future of our youth. Our fears should not make us paranoid to the point of making us blind to how grim the future would be if our children do not get quality education,” diin pa ni Sotto. (DANG SAMSON-GARCIA)