Basuel, Myka Angela B.

BS PSYCH 2-YA-1

“The Boons and Banes of Academic Freeze in Time of Pandemic”

Critical Reading and Writing and Thinking

To say that COVID-19 challenged various countries would be an understatement. In early 2020,
this virus brought about a pandemic that shocked the world, almost bringing it to an unprecedented stop.
This delayed pandemic has significantly altered the manner in which we carry on with our lives. Occurred
before our very eyes are the striking declines in economic affairs, drastic loss of human lives, and
government-enforced health rules that have constrained our social connections. 'Education' is one of the
most seriously hit sectors. Toward the beginning of the pandemic, schools shut their premises as classes
were dropped and the scholastic year put on pause. With an unseen foe among us, the administration decided
on classes to return yet this time, in a virtual and modular format.

This topic aroused discussion in the online community. Some argued that this was the greatest
alternative available given the virus's limits, while others objected to what they saw as an anti-poor stance,
and thus the campaign for an Academic Freeze gained traction online. This presentation will present both
sides of the argument—the boons and banes of academic freeze during a pandemic.

The call for academic freeze was not just a groundless demand constructed to feed people’s idle
desires. It was a plea for empathy and compassion by individuals who were suffering physically and
financially during the outbreak's peak. People who are in favor of academic freeze, despite it only being a
temporary intervention, saw it as a way to alleviate the concerns of then already struggling families. Early
resumption of classes will just cause additional burden to families and guardians providing tuition and
allowances as the transition to “new normal” let all of us, most especially the indigents, prioritize basic
necessities from square one. Imagine staying online for weeks, paying for internet access, and visiting
computer stores, all for the sake of compliance, while families struggle and others die hungry, only thinking
about how to survive each day. Not to mention the high cost of tuition at private institutions and universities.
Paying large sums of money for a subpar education owing to limits does not sit well with many learners.

Furthermore, implementing a modular and online form of learning will only exacerbate the digital
gap that already exists in our educational system. Not everyone has a reliable internet connection, and
reaching a signal would be difficult, if not impossible, for certain pupils. Online classes have always been
tough, but they are made more difficult in a country with unstable and expensive internet connectivity.
Underprivileged students are unable to attend online classes because to the high cost of modems, routers,
and weekly load promotions, as well as the lack of internet signals in rural locations. Not everyone has the
luxury of living in a home where there are no interruptions and where students may study in peace. The
workload of a typical school year, packed into weekly sessions, is harmful to students' mental and emotional
health because the barrier between home, a place of rest, and school, a place of learning, blurs and is merged
in the worst way imaginable. While living in challenging and traumatic times, not everyone can readily
adapt to this difficult situation.
 An academic freeze would provide equitable opportunities for all. In fact, Mr. J Cornelio, an
ADMU professor, voiced his support for this movement at the start of the outbreak by making a statement
claiming that "stopping everything right now" will allow students who are falling behind to catch up. There
is no doubt that the pandemic has had an impact on families' income, and that maintaining their children's
education is not the primary concern right now. Lastly, temporarily putting a halt to education on a serious
time of health crisis would allow students and faculty members to focus on more pressing personal
concerns, such as their physical well-being and mental health, as the pandemic has taken a toll on everyone,
especially on students who are struggling to cope with the demands of remote learning.

All of the views expressed above are valid, however the request for an academic freeze only caters
to the needs and wants of students. It invalidates the struggles of teachers and school employees whose jobs
are jeopardized as a result of the pandemic. True, a national academic break has a number of benefits, but
the adverse impacts effects must not be ignored. The first of these unfavorable effects is "educators losing
their employment"; the concept of an academic freeze is student-centric and ignores the requirements of
teachers, staff, and schools. On top of that, the majority of teachers are not tech-savvy and have to learn
how to handle their online classes. Quite frankly, it would appear unfair to invalidate the struggles of
teachers who are also just victims of our unfortunate circumstances. An indefinite academic freeze will cost
them their jobs which have already been greatly affected by the pandemic.

While imposing an academic break may provide some respite to certain students and teachers, it
will potentially ruin their motivation to learn. Students getting stagnant and losing their enthusiasm to learn
is also a very real danger as they become accustomed to having no academic work to focus on, possibly
leading to permanent dropping out of school. Lastly, the installation of an academic freeze would entail a
delay in graduation, thereby having an impact on the economy. If students do not graduate on time, it will
have a cascading effect on their employment chances, which will eventually have an influence on the
economy. If an academic freeze is indeed implemented, the country’s road to recovery would truly be
challenging since a lack of graduates means a lack of human capital—skills and knowledge, which are
critical factors in economic activity.

To put it all succinctly, the imposition of academic freeze in time of pandemic serves as an
advantage in ways that it would lessen the concerns of struggling families, prevent the digital gap in
education from further resurfacing, provide equal opportunities for everyone, and allow students, educators,
and parents to prioritize more crucial personal concerns. On the contrary, it could also bring negative
impacts such as business and schools shutting down, teachers and school staffs losing their jobs, students
possibly losing their will to study, and delay in graduation that might have an effect on their employment
chances and on the country’s economy. On notions like this one, the validity of the arguments can only be
observed through a subjective lens because the bases from which they were constructed are personal
experiences. Their accuracy is dependent on the level of relatedness people feel toward them. Therefore,
no one could tell which were more or less correct because perception varies from person to person.
OBSERVATIONS:

 There are many complicated/unfamiliar words.

 Half of the essay focuses on the impact of the pandemic. The majority should focus on the boons
and banes following the title of the essay.
 Too long/overloaded information. It could be more clear and precise.
 There are few unnecessary propositions and statements.
 Structure and arrangement of ideas is a bit hard to follow because of too much further explanations
and information.

CRITIQUED BY:

Miguel Torres