According to an education official, the Department of Education (DepEd) is working towards establishing blended learning as a permanent method of education delivery, in addition to traditional solutions such as increasing the number of teachers and constructing more classrooms to address shortages.
During a press briefing at Malacañang, DepEd Undersecretary Michael Poa stated, “That’s why we are adopting a two-track approach, where we not only focus on traditional solutions like building classrooms and hiring teachers, but also aim to leverage technology, which we learned during the pandemic.”
DepEd and CHED officials recently met with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. at Malacañang to present their achievements before the President’s SONA.
Poa explained, “During the pandemic, we realized that blended learning and online classes are viable options. Hence, we want to utilize them to alleviate the congestion in our schools. This approach will effectively and efficiently address the issues of teacher and classroom shortages within a shorter timeframe.”
However, before implementing blended learning, DepEd must ensure the effectiveness of the adopted program to guarantee quality education.
Poa emphasized that DepEd will examine best practices, even in the private sector, to prevent any compromise on the quality of education once blended learning is implemented.
DepEd is also collaborating with CHED through the Teachers Education Council (TEC) to enhance the Philippine education system.
Poa reported to President Marcos on DepEd’s accomplishments over the past year, as well as the department’s future plans.
The presentation included updates on the curriculum, the successful enrollment of 28.4 million students in August 2022, and the national learning recovery program.
“We emphasized our upcoming national learning camps, which will be piloted on July 24. These camps will offer enhancement, consolidation, and intervention programs for our students during breaks,” Poa explained.
He added, “In addition, we focused on our efforts to improve the welfare of students and teachers.”
