SENATOR Win Gatchalian, who recently visited participating schools in Valenzuela for the limited face-to-face classes, shared the observation of teachers and school officials in the city that the lack of face-to-face classes for more than a year took a toll on the social skills of children. For Gatchalian, learning recovery should not only focus on academics but should give equal emphasis on the social and emotional development of children.
“Nakita natin na mahalaga ang face-to-face classes hindi lang dahil sa academics, dahil dito rin sila natututo pagdating sa kanilang social skills,” Gatchalian added.
Earlier this year, Gatchalian filed Senate Bill No. 2355 or the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program Act to institute a nationwide learning recovery program. The proposed ARAL program aims to benefit struggling learners and focus on the most essential learning competencies on Language, Mathematics, and Science.
Aside from helping learners with academic recovery, the proposed program also seeks to provide the adequate provision of nutritional, social, emotional, and mental health support to learners.
While the Omicron variant of COVID-19 has not been detected in the country, Gatchalian emphasized that its threat should not be taken lightly as more schools join the pilot implementation of limited face-to-face classes.
On December 6, over 2,000 learners from 28 schools in the National Capital Region participated in the dry run of limited face-to-face classes.
Gatchalian hopes that all learners in the country can participate in limited face-to-face classes by January 2022. He admits, however, that Omicron could affect the expansion of limited face-to-face classes, especially if it ends up being more transmissible than other variants including Delta. Omicron has been detected in 38 countries to date but it has not been linked to any deaths.
“Kung ang Omicron ay hindi naman malala, sa tingin ko kayang magbukas ng limited face-to-face classes ang iba pang mga paaralan sa January. Pero kapag ang Omicron ay malala, then we have no choice kundi maging mas maingat at baka pwedeng i-postpone pa ang pagbubukas ng mas maraming paaralan,” said Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture.
