Lawmakers encourage F2F classes for economy, children’s sake

MANILA – Two senators reiterated on Friday their call for students to return to face-to-face classes amid the easing of the Covid-19 situation in the country.

Senator Pia Cayetano said she already advised the education sector to prepare for the resumption of face-to-face classes as early as the spread of the Delta variant last year.

“Now I was told that only 60 percent of schools have opened for face-to-face. So how about the 40 percent? I am very bothered because every mother will say that it is not easy to teach. It’s so hard for the students who are not yet into face-to-face and it’s also hard for their parents,” she said in a radio interview.

Cayetano is concerned about the mental health of the students, saying they need interaction.

“I ask the people to lobby in your local government units, in your schools to bring back face-to-face classes,” she said.

Reelectionist Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, on the other hand, said in a statement that the vaccination drive must be strengthened for more schools to hold face-to-face classes.

Gatchalian, chairperson of the Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture, warned that prolonged lack of face-to-face classes will result in economic and education scarring.

Late last year, the National Economic Development Authority said lack of face-to-face classes for a year will result in about PHP11-trillion loss in productivity over the next 40 years.

Gatchalian backs the government’s plan to establish Covid-19 vaccination sites in schools at it would increase coverage among minors and would encourage face-to-face classes in more schools

National Task Force Against Covid-19 chief implementer, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., already gave instructions to make Covid-19 vaccines available in all schools.

As of the April data, more than 2.6 million or 18.59 percent of children aged 5 to 11 have received their first dose, and more than 9.9 million or 86.51 percent among those aged 12 to 17.