Home-school: Challenges of the Pandemic

In 2020, the quickly-spread COVID-19 disease surfaced and

surprised everyone. Lockdowns were initiated, schools and restaurants
shut down, the world was falling apart. Children couldn’t go to school
physically anymore, so teachers had to find a way to educate their
students. A simple solution was brought up, online school, children then
would be able to learn even from their homes, easy fix, right?

Yes, many children had the necessities to attend online classes, but
the majority of children in the Philippines cannot afford a gadget or wifi.
This was a major problem for families and teachers, but not just in the
Philippines, but also all around the world. Parents from all over the globe
were struggling to give and provide education for their kids. They can’t just
wait for the pandemic to end, the families who couldn’t get their children to
go to online class needed to find a solution.

Many parents of students reached out to their other family members

to seek help. Rosever Quintos, a mother of 2, was assisted by another
family member. With the help of a tablet and internet connection from
neighbors, her children may take turns on the tablet to attend online
classes. But a difficulty they face is the lack of ability to use gadgets.
Rosever and her son don’t know how to use the tablet, so she asks her
daughter to help. Her daughter has experience using her phone, so she
can help during class.

Children are not the only ones having problems with education during
the pandemic, teachers also experience difficulty. Emma Nanette Gumban
is a teacher, who is used to face-to-face classes. She is also not used to
gadgets and doesn't know how to use them. So her assistant and
co-teachers help her with technology.

The pandemic and online classes may have been hard at first, but
with cooperation and patience, they can learn many things and adjust to
this lifestyle.