Leading the Schools Amidst the Virus

                                            (chronicle.com)

Unhon man pagklase kun di paskwelahon an mga bata? A buzz of confusion was aired among the parents and the teachers as the president and the IATF mandated that there would be no face-to-face classes to be given until the time that the pandemic will be gone with vaccine and the presence of medicine for COVID 19 is there. The confusion heightened as the new school year comes in.

The Department of Education released its official statement on May 5, 2020: As we continue to confront the issues brought about by the pandemic, we in the Department of Education (DepEd) are addressing challenges in the basic education through the Learning Continuity Plan (LCP), which will be in effect by the time School Year 2020-2021 opens on August 24, 2020.

The LCP is our major response and our commitment in ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of our learners, teachers, and personnel in the time of COVID-19 while finding ways for education to continue amidst the crisis for the upcoming school year.

Putting it into perspective, we have delayed the opening of classes to ensure that our learners and teachers are given time and be properly equipped to adjust to this new learning environment. Our policies will also be continuously guided by science and by the advice of our health experts. Education can and must continue but only under the conditions and health protocols set by the DOH and the World Health Organization (WHO).

It is but human nature to be confused and covered with fear at the same time with the present scenario where the infected is escalating. Some are even distressed with the fact that their loved ones suddenly became mere statistical data on the death toll. Some parents are apprehensive in sending the children to school for safety and there are those who are thinking of not allowing their kids to be enrolled.

In an online press briefing led by Education Secretary Leonor Briones along with Undersecretaries Annalyn Sevilla and Atty. Nepomuceno Malaluan, the DepEd key officials discussed concerns on school opening and the alternative learning modalities. Briones said that the DepEd is aware of the calls to suspend the opening of classes this coming August 24 due to the continued threat of COVID-19. “But what other options do we have? We have to go on because education must continue,” she added (Manila Bulletin, May 2020).

That is where the challenge is. Indeed, we cannot afford to stop the education process for we might produce a generation of young people who are short in competencies and life skills. Yet, how will the educators cope with the gargantuan task of preparing alternative delivery modalities and blended learning schemes which are of good quality? Achievement was even difficult to attain during the formal and face-to-face modality, and now this distance and virtual learning?

The challenge lies on the education leaders themselves. The aforementioned Learning Continuity Plan (LCP) acts as the roadmap to avoid a divide with the educational momentum geared by the different programs, activities and programs of the department. Managerial and leadership skills must be applied by the school heads to guide the teachers to come up with learning materials that can support a different pedagogical approach.

While schools work quickly to respond, thoughtful preparation is key – as evidence shows, programs that are implemented effectively improve student outcomes significantly more than those implemented with less fidelity (Durlak & DuPre, 2008). When helping teachers, students and parents to effectively implement home-supported learning one of the crucial elements is having a clear school plan that will assist in building a shared understanding for all involved (Evidence for Learning, 2020; Sharples et al., 2019).

In a crisis such as the one in which we are currently existing, perfection is the enemy of progress. Michael Ryan, Executive Director of WHO, recently explained in regard to emergency response (Marco Derksen, 2020) that in an emergency we “need to act quickly … be the first mover.” “Speed trumps perfection,” he says, adding that, “everyone is afraid of the consequence of error, but the greatest error is not to move. The greatest error is to be paralyzed by the fear of failure.” In a time of crisis, leaders must act swiftly and with foresight but also with careful consideration of options, consequences and side effects of actions taken. They must communicate with clarity and purpose but also with empathy and humanity.

There are those who are still confused on what to do. Some teachers are groping in the dark what and how to act with the preferred and carefully-studied modality. This is the time where the school leaders must put their best foot forward not just to comply with what is being asked.

The country relies on the young people who will be the future nation builders. We could not afford to allow them to sulk and under-utilize their capabilities to become gaming and entertainment-inclined sloths. We let them get the education they deserve.