Safety over Education?

By Cassie Solon

Vaccines, masks and social distancing. The three mandatory things needed for an
individual to lessen their possibility of getting the infamous Covid-19 virus. However, will
this trio guarantee a person’s safety? As schools are ready to go back to full face-to-face
classes on November 7 like the pre-pandemic days, pupils and students are also excited
to once again experience the ‘old’ normal. But the question this time isn’t “Is face-to-
face classes better than online learning?” but rather “Are full face-to-face classes safe?”.
Undeniably, the limited F2F learning has proved that students clearly favor this mode of
learning more. But we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that a person's health and safety
always come first. Because, after all, we are still in the midst of a pandemic.

Nevertheless, we shouldn’t deny the truth that over the last two years, education
quality has declined. One of the areas of human life that has been most impacted by the
coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is education. It is good to note that
UNICEF Philippines strongly supports the return of in-person learning in all schools,
stating that preventing children from attending class has an adverse impact on their
development. So, which do we put above our priority list, the students’ safety or their
knowledge?

As of Oct 31, 2022, there are 1,006 newly reported cases of people infected by the
coronavirus in the Philippines. This number is just 2% of the average cases we used to
get on a daily basis in the beginning of this year. Although alarming to some people, this
digit is relatively small compared to the per diem amount of cases we used to get back
then. Thanks to our vaccines and booster shots, lesser people have been infected and
fewer have been subject to more fatal symptoms. Since the limited F2F classes started,
there has been no significant rise of Covid-19 cases. This has proven that the use of
masks, social distancing and vaccines even in closed areas are definitely effective and
potent. In fact, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) is updating its standards
for fully in-person instruction in higher education institutions with the full support of
the Department of Health (DOH).

The benefits of implementing full face-to-face classes outweigh the ‘dangers’ of

falling Covid-19 cases. Among the major concerns of withholding full F2F classes is
furthering the frailty of Filipino education. Even prior to the pandemic, our country was
already struggling to raise the quality of basic education. The traditional full F2F classes
are more accessible, fair and can maximize learning. There are many perks to having
students and teachers in the classroom once again, in terms of academic learning, social
interaction and physical exercise. Additionally, there will also be a higher rate of
enrollees. Online learning wasn't as friendly to those who cannot afford gadgets and
WiFi connections, those with attention difficulties and to busy parents who need to be
present with their younger kids in order to ensure they are participating.

It's critical to keep in mind that COVID-19 is still a serious threat. Instead, it is merely
the start of the careful balancing that will be necessary to ensure that neither our
children's education nor their health are heedlessly sacrificed in the name of
expediency. If we just continue the same process we did in the limited F2F classes and
make sure that every student and personnel don’t stray, we may have a shot of bringing
back the old times. To keep students safe or at least mitigate the effects of COVID-19,
school health protocols for conducting face-to-face classes must be carefully planned
according to national and international guidelines. “We fully support that (full F2F
classes) and even our experts have given their recommendations na kailangan na po
talagang buksan ang ating mga edukasyon para sa mga kabataan (that we really need to
open education for our children),” the words of Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario
Vergeire said during a televised public briefing.

Both the youths' safety and education shouldn't be overlooked during this difficult
time. The pandemic may have presented a number of difficulties, putting various aspects
of many Filipinos' lives in danger, but we have persevered. For the future of our country,
the sake of our children, and the sake of our youth, we cannot remain inert; rather, we
must adapt. Full face-to-face classes do not imply that protocols are ignored or that
students' futures are in danger. Instead, it is a well-considered choice made by the DOH,
WHO, and DepEd to improve the future of the students (and the nation). Full F2F classes
might even mark the start of an approach that carefully balances health and education at
every stage. This transition may not go as smoothly, but a difficult beginning does not
guarantee a bad outcome.