In my previous post, I emphasized this health threat turned global crisis did not start in my country. Like everyone else, we are casualties. A few days ago. I encountered a number of publications tagging my struggling country as the land of covid19. I wish to reiterate, we never started it. 


A few weeks ago, I learned stories of discrimination from friends working overseas. After complying to the mandatory 14-day quarantine and submitting to another swab test, they have been avoided by colleagues and called as citizens from the land of covid 19. We all know the story. It's another country that started everything. 


I wish I could share the scent of this sea cotton soya candle melts. 

Classes started in the school where I work for. In time, I'll share my experiences on the new set up. I was about to end when I remember the local video lambasting all the hardworking teachers. I will not link the Facebook page of the conceited director. I don't even consider the video as an eye opener. It's rather a shallow and exaggerated rant. 

First and foremost, schools are not allowed to conduct 100% online, synchronous or live sessions. The government mandated to implement blended learning. This meant part of the education delivery entails offline mechanisms through modules or learning packets. Moreover, live sessions are required to be available offline. Teachers are also required to provide a communication platform (online and offline).  

Modules will perform a significant role in the learning process. During the summer months, teachers were forced to produce modules covering the entire year's lessons. Some of them continued to work even without compensation. Either they are on probationary, contractual employment or schools are just low on funds. The tenured faculty members and staff were not spared. I know other private schools resorting to pay cuts and the most painful retrenchment. Please bear that in mind.

Schools are still charging miscellaneous fees. The video compared private school fees to the Php 150 subscription fee of HBO Go. I guess the director and content creators were not paying attention  when their Business or Economics professor discussed the concept of  Economies of Scale. 

HBO Go is a distributor or streaming service. It probably has millions of subscribers. Hence, it earns profits from the volume of subscribers. The movie you see in HBO Go, Netflix and even on other streaming sites are produced by another company. The reality is not the same for private schools. Private Schools are both producers and distributors of its own learning materials. The worst part is, schools are working on limited funds. Schools depend on enrollment alone. It doesn't have stocks, investments and other resources to maintain earnings. 

A lot of parents lost their jobs. A number of students will either stop schooling or move to public schools. Enrollment in private schools decreased by as much as 50%. Private Schools have to pay for teachers, support staff and most of all, invest on additional expensive IT resources to ensure learning continuity. The school's website, maintenance, security of the student portal accounts and even that "https" demand cost. There is so much to do with the limited funds. Unlike large corporations, schools don't have reserve funds and earning investments. Private schools, especially those operated by religious congregations, are classified as non-stock and non-profit institutions. This meant schools are not allowed to divert their money resources to other profitable schemes.

The video also highlighted the ease of committing academic dishonesty on online classes. My point is, anyone who wants to cheat will cheat. It does not matter whether the class is made online. I've been teaching for quite some time and cheating is prevalent even on the usual class set up. The problem does not lie in the mechanism. It's your moral standards that needs to be fixed. 

Lastly, I can't understand why the female talent has to get naked. Undressing because of frustration does not address a national issue. The content creator claims their "work of art" unearths hidden issues of remote learning. I think awareness on the struggles of remote learning has long been established. It has always been reliable internet connection, expensive electronic devices, limited spaces at home and parents struggling to support their children's education. 

The more critical issue lies on addressing the challenges. I would have appreciated if the content creators used their voice to extend help. I wish they produced another film directed to generate donations and provide electronic devices for teachers and families, who cannot affort it. I hope even other influencers and content creators choose to become part of the solution. 


It's been a while since I last wrote a long post. :p This will do for now. :) 

Wishing everyone a great week ahead.