The Department of Education (DepEd) is pushing for the institutionalization of blended learning as a permanent mode of education delivery, alongside the traditional solutions of hiring more teachers and building more classrooms to address shortages.
“That’s why we also presented that we are now going on a two-track approach wherein, alongside the traditional solutions of building more classrooms and hiring more teachers, we also want to tap into technology, (one of the) lessons we learned during the pandemic,” DepEd Undersecretary Michael Poa said.
Poa and Commission on Higher Education (CHED) chairperson Prospero de Vera met President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in Malacañang to present their accomplishments ahead of the President’s SONA.
“During the pandemic, we realized that we apply the blended learning. We can do the online classes. So, we want to use that to be able to decongest our schools. This will effectively and efficiently resolve issues…as to teachers’ shortage and classroom shortage in a quicker span of time,” Poa said.
Poa said prior the implementation of the blended learning, the DepEd has to make sure that the program to be adopted is effective to ensure quality education.
In carrying out the program, Poa said DepEd would be looking at best practices even in the private sector to ensure that blended learning, once implemented, it would not affect the quality of education.
DepEd is also collaborating with CHED through the Teachers Education Council (TEC) to improve the Philippine education system.
Poa said they reported to President Marcos the DepEd’s yearlong accomplishments, as well as the department’s plans moving forward.
Poa said that they reported to Marcos about the DepEd achievements such as updated curriculum, and some 28.4 million learners went to school back in August 2022, and the national learning recovery program.
‘We highlighted our national learning camps that we will be piloting very soon, (on) July 24, which will offer enhancement, consolidation and also intervention camps for our learners during the break,” Poa said.
