THE BOONS AND BANES OF ACADEMIC FREEZE

IN TIME OF PANDEMIC

For the partial requirements in:

CRITICAL READING, WRITING AND THINKING

(MD2-Y1-3)

Submitted by:

Carpio, Diana Mae

Gomez, Adasa Daniella
Lising, Jerome
Pinili, Lyanne Miles
Rom, Lyn Gwyneth

Submitted to:

Ms. Shekainah Girlie Arellano

(CRWT Instructor)

October 27, 2022

 The COVID-19 pandemic is the major public health crisis the world has faced in more
than a century (Miyah et al., 2022). On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO)
declared a global pandemic for a third highly pathogenic coronavirus after SARS-CoV in 2003
and MERS-CoV in 2012 emerged from the Republic of China, in December of 2019. The
pandemic has had a profound impact not only on people's health but also on the way they live,
work, and learn. It has resulted in a tremendous loss of human life worldwide and poses an
unprecedented risk to public health, food systems, and education. At the onset of the COVID-19
pandemic, students' response to the new normal has become a severe challenge. Students are
forced to adapt to a new education system that has never been widely implemented, studied, and
done before in such a short period of time. Almost all universities resorted to new ways of
learning by having virtual meetings using online learning platforms where students and teachers
interact. During this time, distance-learning solutions were also implemented to ensure
educational continuity. However, not all students have the same access to technologies, devices,
and digital learning resources.

The abrupt change in the learning system has led to inevitable challenges for educators,
students, and the academic community. As the situation worsened, the worldwide shutdown
resulted in the closure of educational institutions. According to the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization, as of April 2020, the number of learners affected by school
closures at all grade levels reached 1.5 billion from 195 countries. Closures of schools, colleges,
and universities put educational administrators in a difficult position, leaving them with limited
choices. In addition, a study by Besser et al. (2022) revealed that college students experienced
increased anxiety, irritation, boredom, and reduced positive moods due to the abrupt switch to
online classes. Every university has switched to an online learning system (Tanveer M. et al.,
2020). Students are also expected to stay at home and follow social distancing norms. As a
result, blackouts and lousy internet connections could be problematic for online learning
platforms (Alsoufi A. et al., 2020).

While the potential learning loss may only be momentary, other elements that happen in
the absence of traditional schooling are curbing educational aspirations. According to the
Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) in 2021, flexible learning for higher education
institutions is here to stay; there is no going back to traditional, overcrowded, face-to-face
classes. Despite the considerate measures to provide equitable and inclusive access to quality
education of most universities to its students, it does not measure up to the struggles of students
in the new learning environment. Thus, numerous students call for an academic halt because of
the persistent problem that arises from the new learning system.

One of the advantages of opting for an academic freeze during the pandemic is the equal
opportunity for all students to catch up. Professor Jayeel Cornelio, Ateneo De Manila
University's head of the development studies program, indicated that stopping everything right
now will allow students who have fallen behind to catch up and that continuing through the
academic semester would already leave the most vulnerable behind. Furthermore, 44,069 college
students from state universities and colleges (SUCs) were unable to enroll during the pandemic,
as attested by the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC) President
Tirso Ronquillo in a virtual conference of the House Committee on Higher and Technical
Education. A similar view was expressed by Professor Kabzeel Sheba Catapang of the
University of the Philippines Los Baños who noted that the government must make education
accessible under any circumstances. Given that many online classes include the use of
technology, students who do not have access to a reliable internet connection are already
burdened. Forcing the academic year will only result in some students falling behind due to
financial constraints. Moreover, the academic break, according to Professor Kabzeel Sheba
Catapang of the University of the Philippines Los Baños, will give students and faculty members
more time to attend to more pressing personal concerns. Although there is currently insufficient
data to compare the numbers of students and teachers dealing with mental health issues, Dr. Joan
Rifareal of the Philippine Psychiatric Association reported that she noticed an increase in the
number of students coming to her with stress and anxiety as the nation shifted to distance
learning. Thus, imposing academic freeze will allow students to rest, catch up, obtain work, and
save enough money to attend school.

On the other hand, in spite of the advantages and relief that the academic freeze suggests,
it also poses drawbacks. The delay in the graduation of the succeeding batches influences
employment chances; hence, pushing through the academic freeze would have a snowball effect,
impacting students' career possibilities if they did not graduate on time, which would have an
effect on the economy of the Philippines in the long run. “A one-semester delay means a lot to
individuals who will be the breadwinners for their families,” Professor Kabzeel Sheba Catapang
of the University of the Philippines Los Baños remarked. Such action will result in a year in
which several healthcare workers will be unable to join the workforce due to the delay of
graduation, especially when the country needs them the most, for the pandemic cases are still
rising. The country's unemployment rate fell to 10% in July from 17.7% in April, according to
the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). In totality, 4.6 million Filipinos remained unemployed.
In addition, allowing for an academic freeze will significantly impact the students' momentum
for learning. Based on the study of Agnew et al. (2019), they discovered that academic breaks
could also lead to high disruption in the academic routines of students. Since students have to
transition from the break into the school setting, it will not be easy to regain the motivation to
focus on their academic tasks to the extent they previously had. Moreover, students are likely to
have an increase in mental health problems once an academic freeze is implemented. According
to a study by Idris et al. (2021) at the Universiti Brunei Darussalam, students are often faced with
rising anxiety during the pandemic, which may lead to declined motivation towards studying and
can be correlated with increased concerns about academic, social, and economic well-being.
College students can struggle with loneliness and isolation because of disconnections from
friends and peers but the abrupt disruption of the semester can cause cessation in their research
projects and internships, leading to further problems such as uncertainty in graduation and job
market availability.

The pandemic has forced students to cope with a seemingly impossible situation, leading
to various academic problems and struggles. Such issues compromise the future of society when
not appropriately addressed and given priority. Academic freeze has been a long-standing issue
since then. Given everything, a full-blown academic suspension during this time is not the best
option since the country anticipates the succeeding graduates of professionals and workers to
rebuild the failing economy. However, scheduled academic breaks can be implemented while the
academic year is ongoing to relieve students of financial constraints, academic stress, and
personal troubles. Nonetheless, strategic planning must be accomplished first to know when,
how, and how long the break should be implemented to ensure that it will best benefit the
learners. The pandemic has taken a lot from everyone, but education must not be one of those.
Students deserve to learn and have the best quality education possible, but having academic ease
is not the entire solution to the incompetent educational system. Instead, the system must shift to
benefit the whole academic community, deliver quality education to all kinds of learners, and
devise a functional educational system despite any circumstances. Only this way can it be
ensured that no learner is left behind.

REFERENCES:
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the impact of an autumn break on stress. Student Success, 10(3), 45–54.
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Alsoufi, A., Alsuyihili, A., Msherghi, A., Elhadi, A., Atiyah, H., Ashini, A., Ashwieb, A., Ghula,
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knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding electronic learning. PloS One, 15(11),
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Besser, A., Flett, G. L., & Zeigler-Hill, V. (2022). Adaptability to a sudden transition to online
learning during the COVID-19 pandemic: Understanding the challenges for students.
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https://doi.org/10.1037/stl0000198

Cruz, K. (2021, May 24). Flexible learning will be the norm – CHEd. The Manila Times.
https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/05/24/news/national/flexible-learning-will-be-the-nor
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Idris, F., Zulkipli, I. N., Abdul-Mumin, K. H., Ahmad, S. R., Mitha, S., Rahman, H. A.,
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Rappler. (2020, September 10). 44,000 college students won’t enroll during pandemic, says
group. Head Topics.
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