October 16, 2020

MS. HERMOSILA QUIJADA

Class Adviser, Grade 2 Dignity
Totolan Elementary School
Totolan, Dauis, Bohol

Dear Ms. Quijada,

Greetings in His Most Holy Name!

In the light of the circumstance that the country’s school system is facing right now, much has been
placed to be prepared by the teachers in relation to the opening of the academic school year. Modules,
activities, and other academic undertakings are believed to have been well-thought out in order to cater to
the academic growth that teachers hope to see from the students. On this regard, it is true that while so
many of these things are being prepared for, the quality of the information found in these academic
materials and references must be kept in utmost integrity.

I am sending this letter to express my questions on the items found in the module for Araling Panlipunan
2 for the First Quarter for School Year 2020-2021. This module was answered by Maria Lee Pongasi and
though I am not in any way biologically related to the student, I would like to exercise my being a
godfather who wishes to see the best from my godchild.

It has come to my attention that quite a number of the items in the module seem to not make much sense
as these items have been proven to be: (a) either insignificant to the supposed stock of information a
student is supposed to know; or (b) too difficult for a Grade 2 pupil to accomplish, thereby losing the
validity of the items in the context of assessment and evaluation.

Let me thresh out the items that I am referring to:

1. Letter (g) located above the Enrichment Activity before Activity 5a
- The question for this item is: “Asa naggikan ang pangalang Hagonoy?”
 What is the intention of this question? What is so significant about the “hagonoy” that
it be a subject of discussion in this item of the module? In the first place, there is
nothing in the Concept Notes that would try to elaborate the need to know the origin
of the term “hagonoy”. If we are to follow the intentions of assessment and
evaluation, this item does not make any sense at all because if this Module 2 is
supposed to discuss the “My Community” – Ang Aking Komunidad, then why would
the “hagonoy” stand out as to be examined in terms of its origin? Why among all
plants will my godchild supposedly answer such concern and why not another plant?
What is the reason of isolating the “hagonoy” as the plant under discussion?
2. Enrichment Activity before Activity 5a
- The activity gives the direction: “Paghimo og interbyu bahin sa mga mosunod nga mga
impormasyon sa imong komunidad.”
 In the context of the language or dialect being spoken, native inhabitants, and
religion, a Grade 2 pupil may be able to arrive at the needed answers by raising the
question to the parents. Truly, that is something feasible. However, when it came to
the category on “Population” – Populasyon, things do not anymore seem to add up.
My point here is: How do you want the Grade 2 pupil to get the information regarding
the population of her community when her age and grade level are not supposed to
be given such a task yet? If the reason for giving the question is for the student to get
the information from her parents, the concern holds to be more or less true. I mean,
what would you expect the parents to do? Did you expect them to go to the nearest
local registry or to the barangay office to get this information? Because if that is what
 you are hoping the parents would do, then that defeats the purpose of giving this
activity to a Grade 2 pupil since parents are now the ones exerting effort to complete
the module. Since I believe that you want the student to be the one responsible of
finishing the module, the tasks and activities there should be gauged in a way that fits
the ability of the class or grade level where the pupil belongs.

 It is also possible that you are hoping for an estimate as a possible answer to this
item. The estimate may be provided by my godchild but that requirement is not
indicated in the stem of the question. This is where clarity of instructions and
directions would come as a necessity in the construction of our activities.
3. Activity 5b
- The activity gives the direction: Pun-a ang Information Sheet sa mga gikinahanglan nga
impormasyon kabahin sa imong komunidad.
 I just find this Information Sheet to be irrelevant to a Grade 2 Level. As for the basic
information of the name and address, without a doubt, any Grade 2 pupil can fill that
out. However, on the categories of Population (Populasyon), Number of Women
(Gidaghanun sa Babae), and Number of Men (Gidaghanun sa Lalaki), how do you
intend a Grade 2 pupil to retrieve these information? Do you want to once again rely
on the parents to provide the child the answers to the questions? Or perhaps, do you
wish for the parents to ask for these things in the nearest local registry or barangay
office just so the module will be completed? And to reiterate, doing so defeats the
purpose of the module because it would now seem as though the parents are the
ones accomplishing the module and not the students.
 On the premise that possibly you want to get an estimate of these numbers, Activity
5b clearly does not ask the pupil to make use of estimated data as answers to
complete the Information Sheet.

Once again, I am sending this message because I do not want my godchild to be working on materials
which are not relevant to her academic growth. I do not want her to face these activities only to find out
that the true intentions of assessment and evaluation are not even set by the teacher in the first place.
Though teachers have the chance to exercise their right to academic freedom, it is still in the bridge of
making sure that the students be able to reach their full potential in academics and in life. If these are the
kinds of activities that my godchild gets to meet from time to time, what good future are we trying to
expect from her? Should we not rather give justice to the role of being a teacher and make sure that she
should learn what she is supposed to learn?

I understand that maybe you have your guide to follow in the accomplishment of the module. But is it not
the responsibility of the teacher to carefully see to it that the content of the module be sensible, logical,
and relevant to the academic upbringing of a student? Is it not the responsibility of the teacher to uphold
the essence of assessment and evaluation despite the difficulty faced in the new normal that every
student, parent, and teacher is facing right now?

On this end, I look forward to your response regarding these concerns. I am willing to read your answers
to the clarifications that are needed regarding Module 2 in Araling Panlipunan 2. Even though this letter
will be read as the copy of Module 2 is already submitted, the need for your response is still a priority. We
would not want for this matter to reach other parents and higher offices, so your response will be truly
valuable.

God bless and more power!

Respectfully yours,

SIMPLICIO GADUGDUG V
Godparent