By Merina Hernando-Malipot The Department of Education (DepEd) will allow schools and community learning centers (CLCs) to choose “relevant and appropriate” alternative learning delivery methods that will best fit the context or health situation in their respective communities when schools reopen in August. (MANILA BULLETIN) Under the guidance of their respective Regional and Division offices, DepEd said that schools and CLCs will be allowed to choose the “best and most appropriate” methods to deliver education to the learners under their care when the classes for School Year (SY) 2020-2021 start on August 24. To guide the schools when classes formally start, DepEd has crafted a Learning Continuity Plan (LCP). “The LCP is our major response and our commitment in ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of our learners, teachers, and personnel in the time of COVID-19, while finding ways for education to continue amid the crisis for the upcoming school year,” DepEd said. DepEd noted that in the LCP, the “choice and contextualization of the learning delivery modality of schools will depend on the local COVID-19 situation, as well as access to certain learning platforms.” Even as policies are set in the central office, DepEd assured that it will primarily consider local public health conditions in adjusting LCP thus, preventive measures will be put in place to “secure the health and well-being of our personnel and our learners under this new normal.” Learning delivery modalities Recognizing that access is an issue of utmost concern, DepEd has devised various modalities to ensure that there are several options in this new learning environment. Under the LCP, DepEd offers various learning modalities that the schools and CLCs, as well as parents, can choose from when classes start. These options include Blended Learning, Distance Learning, Homeschooling, Apprenticeship, and Face-to-Face Learning subject to approval of the Department of Health (DOH) and the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF). Blended Learning, as explained by DepEd, “allows for a combination of face-to-face, online, and modular learning delivery.” Among its features is that it limits face-to-face learning delivery, it affords social distancing and it decreases the volume of people outside the home at any given time. Distance learning, on the other hand, is delivered through online platforms, through educational programs on television and radio, and in printed modules. For DepEd, this is the “most viable for independent learners and learners supported by periodic supervision of parents or guardians.” Another learning delivery modality is homeschooling, which “provides learners with equal access to quality basic education at home to be facilitated by qualified parents, guardians, or tutors who have undergone relevant training.” With homeschooling, DepEd noted that “families can educate according to their personal faith, philosophy, and values,” and learning schedules may also be adjusted to fit family schedules and circumstances. DepEd said that, currently, this “policy is under review.” Another option is the apprenticeship ideal for Senior High School (SHS) learners. Here, Grades 11 and 12 learners are provided with “opportunities for actual immersion in workplace situations under the supervision of a certified practitioner.” DepEd said that this option is appropriate for selected Technical-Vocational-Livelihood (TVL) specializations that require more onsite learning and application skills than academics. DepEd also noted that schools may choose face-to-face learning only if applicable. In this traditional setting, opportunities for active engagement are available. Immediate feedback is also possible and it aids socio-emotional development of learners. DepEd assured that its field units will be allowed to determine the most appropriate combinations or strategies for every locality as it looks into addressing equity concerns of constituents in this new arrangement. “It is our ultimate goal to facilitate the safe return of our teachers and learners to schools without the worry for COVID-19. But until such time is already possible, we will do everything in our capacity to carry on so that basic education will still be available despite the crisis,” DepEd said.