[OPINION] The bad side of distance learning

By Jack Ramos

---

Trigger warning: Mention of suicide in the middle of the article. If you’re struggling or know someone who is, contact this hotline:

Hopeline - a 24/7 suicide prevention and crisis support helpline in the Philippines.

PLDT: (02) 804-4673

Globe: (0917) 558-4673

Toll-free for Globe/TM: 2919

It's been a year since the Philippines declared quarantine protocols because of Covid-19, a state in which remains today making us the country with the longest lockdown in the world due to coronavirus.

I still remember that day last year, March 9, when Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno'' Domagoso ordered the suspension of classes from March 9 to 15 as more cases of Covid-19 were recorded in Metro Manila. Me and my friends were watching on my cellphone on that day, seeing Yorme live from London wearing a long scarf around his neck. As soon as he said on his Facebook live that classes are suspended, the news spread faster than a race car. The whole building was filled with joy, not because of the increasing Covid-19 cases in the country, but because at last we would have our break from school and can go to our homes safely. But I never thought that day would be the last time that I would see their faces.

As the Covid-19 cases in the country rose and the suspension was prolonged, schools and universities had no choice but to embrace the online mode of learning. At first, the requirements that we needed to do were bearable but fast forward to this day, every one of us is tired and the only reason we are doing this is to graduate on time. Personally, I thought that this new setup of classes would be less of a burden since there are a lot of problems right now because of the Covid-19 pandemic. But a lot of students are having a hard time in this distance-learning scheme. Last Oct. 25, the Samahan ng Progresibong Kabataan (SPARK) said that they monitored a total of 20 suicide incidents that are directly connected to distance learning.

One of them is Ricky Benig, a 19-year-old grade nine student of Sto. Domingo National High School in Albay, who took his own life last June 16. Her mom, Maria Jacobe Benig said her son has been struggling financially because of the burden imposed by online learning on his family.

“He told me, ‘Mama, I won’t study now, anyway what will I learn from this online class? Before, you gave us transportation money, that’s cheaper than this online class. Now, if you don’t have P100, you can’t join the online class,” said Mrs. Benig in an interview posted on SPARK's Facebook.

The SPARK also added that Mrs. Benig blamed “the strains of online classes” for her son’s suicide.

The Department of Education on the other hand said that the public should stop linking suicide cases to the remote learning implementation

“Nakatanggap na kami ng mga ulat mula sa kinauukulan, maging mga pahayag ng mga pamilya, at mga inisyal na imbestigasyon ng mga kaso at wala sa alinmang insidente ang tumutukoy sa distance learning bilang pangunahing sanhi ng mga ito,” DepEd said in their released statement on their website.

Imagine finding a way to stay online for weeks, paying for the electric bills, internet, or mobile data, and going to computer shops all for the sake of keeping up with the class. All of these while some families are struggling to pay for the tuition that has not changed and others are thinking on how to survive every day.

Personally, the best solution for this is an academic freeze which has a very low chance of being implemented here in the Philippines. That's why the best possible solution that I see is having a flexible academic term that will lessen the school days required, lowering the number of course requirements, and lastly reducing the tuition and fees for using the school facilities since families are struggling to find a way to earn money.

Today, online classes still continue and more students are getting stressed out because of the incompetent implementation of it. Some of our professors are trying their best to ease our burden. But in the end, they can't do much because of the incompetence of the government on handling the pandemic and ignoring the impact of online learning to students.

Education is a right, but in this time of a pandemic, valuing the mental health of students is way more important.