Education under the New Normal

By: Glenda G. Hernandez

The latest CoViD-19 coronavirus pandemic has spread at an unprecedented

pace, infecting an enormous number of people and damaging the global economy. This

has become a distress to the world. Throughout the Southeast Asian region, the

Philippines are among the countries which have been hit the worst by the CoViD-19

pandemic. The Philippine government declared the entire country under a state of

calamity. Moreover, local lock-downs or home quarantine were executed. More than 50

million Filipinos are locked-down in the entire island of Luzon, preventing them from

moving outside their houses. The struggle against the COVID-19 epidemic has far-

reaching consequences and repercussions in nearly every aspect of human life. For

almost a pandemic year, most countries worldwide have temporarily closed educational

institutions to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus and reduce its infections.

Nowadays, we all are staying in our homes due to the lockdown policy

implemented by the government. However, learning should not halt. Different countries

worldwide including the Philippines have introduced various answers during the

pandemic to continue the education process - the introduction of distance learning,

including the modular type of learning. Several online learning platforms such as

google, TV and radio broadcasts, guidelines, resources, video lectures, and online

channels were introduced. Because school is a public space where crowds are

expected, and children are vulnerable, there is a need to strengthen policy in terms of
the form of the system - to make online learning platforms attainable. Indeed, this

transition to the new normal, from the four corners of the classroom to the borders of

virtual reality.

As an educator, I call for the strengthening of education system in this time of

crisis. These 3Cs will surely help to overcome this pandemic and can aid the

improvement of our education system in this new normal set-up. Collaboration,

Cooperation, and Commitment of the students, parents, teachers, stakeholders,

educational leaders, and the government are the most important things in these difficult

times and the key to overcoming this pandemic. Learning should not stop. It is the

foundation of a productive and a globally competitive nation. Sulong Edukasyon!

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