Apologia and DepEd’s urgent need for action
>> Friday, August 20, 2021
LETTERS FROM THE AGNO
David
March Fianza
Our apologies to whoever felt upset with the topic last week on the vaccination to fight the Delta variant that is causing exponential increase in infections and more deaths in the NCR+ areas which is under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).
The intention of the article was to bring awareness to the importance of getting jabbed because as health authorities said, vaccines bring more benefits than not having it. There was no intention to spread fake news or instigate unvaccinated citizens to rush to vaccination sites and Baguio is under GCQ, not ECQ.
By the way, as early as two or three days before my Delta variant article came out last Saturday, national papers already had it in the news. The title of one article said, “MMDA: ‘No vaccine, no ayuda’ rumor caused ‘unruliness’ at jab sites in Manila, Las Piñas”.
This was why MMDA chair Benhur Abalos asked the NBI to go after the sources of misinformation that only those vaccinated for COVID-19 will receive cash aid as the NCR reverts to ECQ. Abalos clarified that the distribution of ayuda for each person worth P1,000 or P4,000 per family is not attached on whether one has been vaccinated or not.
Even President Duterte was not spared from the ruckus as he was blamed for an announcement he issued. On July 29, just a day before the announcement that NCR+ will be under a two-week ECQ, he said that a law for unvaccinated persons should be passed, but that he could not wait for it.
“This is my order: You will be returned to your house,” the President stated. “So if you want to go out, get vaccinated.” There is no law or official order to back this but the President’s statement added to the confusion and subsequent panic anyway as people rushed to vaccination sites before the break of dawn, eager to get a jab and for fear they will be apprehended. The Manila PIO found out about this.
Presidential spox Harry Roque, insan Ronald Perez’s idol and friend, quickly defended his boss and apologized for him, of course. That is the difference between people in Malacanang and we who are at the bottom of society: They have people who apologize for them and they are not investigated, while we have to apologize and defend ourselves.
****
In this age of the worldwideweb.com, schoolchildren have been pulled away from their books by their cyber gadgets. I agree with Marcial Lami-ing’s article and asked his permission to have it printed in my column.
The urgent need for action
When
DepEd-CAR launched its READ to LEAD project last year which aims to advocate
every learner a reader in every grade level, I came to realize this project is
really very timely. It was very delightful to note that even the DepEd
secretary came to grace the said launching as a gesture of support.
Reading skill is one of the macro skills needed to be developed in the K to 12 Curriculum. It is considered as one of the vital skills that a Filipino learner needs to develop since it will lead him to the global community. Failure could lead to catastrophe, but that is another story.
It is basic for literacy. As such, educators have long made reading instruction a priority in the school curriculum. (Roe, Smith, & Burns, 2011). Teachers, parents, students and other members of the learning community are one in asserting the importance of reading to effective functioning in today’s complex, technological world.
On the other hand, the ability to read is vital to effective functioning in a literate society. Thus, there is a need to ignite their interest in reading and help them realize that it is a life skill that is essential to their future success. Their exposure to gadgets and social media should be regulated giving a balance to time for reading.
Looking at the result of the Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (Phil-IRI) administered to all Grade 7 during the School Year 2019-2020 in the Baguio City Division was alarming. Among the 22 Secondary schools that submitted reports, all showed a very low result.
With 5,070 Grade 7 learners who took the test; 2,043 or 40% belong to the Frustration level or very low readers. While 1,159 or 23% belong to the Instructional level or average readers. These were the pre-test results that were the basis of the interventions made by Grade 7 reading teachers.
As per District result, Lucban-Mabini and Baguio Central/West Baguio recorded the highest percentage of Frustration level with 56% and 55% respectively with Quezon and North Quezon running 3rd with 50% with BCNHS and its annexes recording only 33%.
This is not mean that we have dumb learners. These figures only show that something has to be done. As frontliners and leaders in Education, these figures should serve as eye-openers for us in strategizing best interventions to improve these figures.
Ideally, our learners should be Independent if not Instructional readers. Having Independent readers means that they are perfect oral readers with excellent comprehension while Instructional readers know how to follow instructions from their teachers.
The Phil-IRI result reflecting the reading level of our learners needs urgent action especially for school heads. We need to think of better and doable strategies to lessen, if not to eradicate the numbers of Frustration readers. We know our school and the learners. Even in this time of pandemic, we can improve.
Our English teachers can innovate by maximizing online reading activities during their synchronous classes. Strengthen partnership with our PTA since they are the ones now directly supervising their children at home.
Make constant communication with them regarding the reading habits of their children. Orient them to practice the DEAR or Drop Everything and Read Time at home. We can also tap the services of volunteer teachers under the Project Kalayaan of DepEd.
Reading does not come naturally by the students unless they are required to do so, (Padilla, 2016, Patawid di Adal). The action revealed that the process of reading has to be taught to students where the teacher and knowledge source in the household has to model reading tactics, which ultimately will be practiced by students without reluctance.
In a recent development, the conduct of Brigada Eskwela 2021 National Kick off last August 3, 2021 emphasized on school readiness come school year 2021-2022.
Director Leila P. Areola of the Bureau of Learning and Delivery hinted a new program, the “Brigada Pagbasa”. She added that the 2021 Brigada Eskwela must focus on literacy and numeracy. Brigada Pagbasa is an acknowledgement that reading is an important tool that serves the foundation upon which all the instructional programs are based.
Accordingly, the gift of reading is what we can give to the learners as they try to be motivated so that they can read and write better, learn independently and think creatively and critically. Thus, the Brigada Pagbasa must be an essential activity of today’s Brigada Eskwela. – Marcial L. Lami-ing
Reading skill is one of the macro skills needed to be developed in the K to 12 Curriculum. It is considered as one of the vital skills that a Filipino learner needs to develop since it will lead him to the global community. Failure could lead to catastrophe, but that is another story.
It is basic for literacy. As such, educators have long made reading instruction a priority in the school curriculum. (Roe, Smith, & Burns, 2011). Teachers, parents, students and other members of the learning community are one in asserting the importance of reading to effective functioning in today’s complex, technological world.
On the other hand, the ability to read is vital to effective functioning in a literate society. Thus, there is a need to ignite their interest in reading and help them realize that it is a life skill that is essential to their future success. Their exposure to gadgets and social media should be regulated giving a balance to time for reading.
Looking at the result of the Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (Phil-IRI) administered to all Grade 7 during the School Year 2019-2020 in the Baguio City Division was alarming. Among the 22 Secondary schools that submitted reports, all showed a very low result.
With 5,070 Grade 7 learners who took the test; 2,043 or 40% belong to the Frustration level or very low readers. While 1,159 or 23% belong to the Instructional level or average readers. These were the pre-test results that were the basis of the interventions made by Grade 7 reading teachers.
As per District result, Lucban-Mabini and Baguio Central/West Baguio recorded the highest percentage of Frustration level with 56% and 55% respectively with Quezon and North Quezon running 3rd with 50% with BCNHS and its annexes recording only 33%.
This is not mean that we have dumb learners. These figures only show that something has to be done. As frontliners and leaders in Education, these figures should serve as eye-openers for us in strategizing best interventions to improve these figures.
Ideally, our learners should be Independent if not Instructional readers. Having Independent readers means that they are perfect oral readers with excellent comprehension while Instructional readers know how to follow instructions from their teachers.
The Phil-IRI result reflecting the reading level of our learners needs urgent action especially for school heads. We need to think of better and doable strategies to lessen, if not to eradicate the numbers of Frustration readers. We know our school and the learners. Even in this time of pandemic, we can improve.
Our English teachers can innovate by maximizing online reading activities during their synchronous classes. Strengthen partnership with our PTA since they are the ones now directly supervising their children at home.
Make constant communication with them regarding the reading habits of their children. Orient them to practice the DEAR or Drop Everything and Read Time at home. We can also tap the services of volunteer teachers under the Project Kalayaan of DepEd.
Reading does not come naturally by the students unless they are required to do so, (Padilla, 2016, Patawid di Adal). The action revealed that the process of reading has to be taught to students where the teacher and knowledge source in the household has to model reading tactics, which ultimately will be practiced by students without reluctance.
In a recent development, the conduct of Brigada Eskwela 2021 National Kick off last August 3, 2021 emphasized on school readiness come school year 2021-2022.
Director Leila P. Areola of the Bureau of Learning and Delivery hinted a new program, the “Brigada Pagbasa”. She added that the 2021 Brigada Eskwela must focus on literacy and numeracy. Brigada Pagbasa is an acknowledgement that reading is an important tool that serves the foundation upon which all the instructional programs are based.
Accordingly, the gift of reading is what we can give to the learners as they try to be motivated so that they can read and write better, learn independently and think creatively and critically. Thus, the Brigada Pagbasa must be an essential activity of today’s Brigada Eskwela. – Marcial L. Lami-ing
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