MANILA, Philippines — An organization of university student councils on Friday called for the immediate termination of the current academic semester amid the COVID-19 outbreak in the Philippines, rather than extending the semester or continuing it through online classes.
The National Union of Students of the Philippines said that ending the semester is the most inclusive option for college students compared to other alternatives proposed or already being implemented in higher education institutions during the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine in effect until April 30.
It also called for the “mass promotion” of students, including the clearance of eligible students to graduate, as well as the refunding of unused school fees to ease the financial burden of affected families.
“Quality education is in everyone’s interests. Our call to end the semester and to promote students en masse does not need to set this aside. We enjoin schools to offer audit classes and modules once the crisis has been surmounted, and it also follows that phasing ang curricula will need to be adjusted accordingly,” the NUSP said in a Friday statement.
“The crisis makes no exemptions. Students stand on the same side as everyone on the receiving end of financial, psychological, and emotional stress brought about by the pandemic. To add academic stress to the pile would only make for a burden even more difficult to bear.”
Under the Commission on Higher Education's COVID-19 Advisory 3, tertiary education institutions must "deploy available distance learning, e-learning, and other alternative modes of delivery in lieu of residential learning if they have the resources to do so"
Citing the experiences of affected universities in Luzon, however, the NUSP echoed concerns that online classes are not accessible for students without stable or any internet connection at home.
“Online learning, meanwhile, does not guarantee quality education and excludes those without stable internet access and devices...online classes disregard the varying resources among students,” their statement read.
It also said that an academic term extension is not feasible for schools with a trimestral rather than semestral schedule.
“On the other hand, extending the semester entails uncertainty, especially since the peak of the crisis remains unpredictable, though a study by the University of the Philippines COVID-19 pandemic response team pegged it to happen between April and June.”
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What universities are doing
Higher education institutions have taken different approaches to the disruption of classes due to the flexibility of CHED’s guidelines, allowing them to “implement extraordinary and swift measures to address the needs of students, employees, and other stakeholders arising from COVID-related issues.”
State universities and colleges are required to discuss any proposed measures with their respective Board of Regents and informing the concerned CHED regional office in the event.
Private universities and colleges, on the other hands, "do not need to obtain prior approval from the Commission," provided that they inform CHED in writing and coordinate with the concerned regional offices.
Ateneo de Manila University, for example, announced in a memo that qualified graduating students are cleared for graduation while eligible non-graduating students will receive passing grades and will be promoted to the next school year automatically.
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The University of Santo Tomas went the opposite route, continuing online classes after the quarantine extension until the end of the month was announced.
“While the University recognizes the limitations that come with teaching and learning remotely, including unstable internet access and inability to adequately teach manual skills online, the health and welfare of everyone are of primary concern,” read a UST advisory posted Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the University of the Philippines has not yet reached a decision. Chancellors of all UP units are set to meet on Monday before final approval is granted by the university's Board of Regents.
JUST IN: Chancellors across the UP System will meet on Monday to discuss the possible adjustments for the semester, said Student Regent Isaac Punzalan. The final decision, he added, will come from the Board of Regents, the university's highest decision-making body. pic.twitter.com/SYcpqCzaTc
— Philippine Collegian (@phkule) April 8, 2020