Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 25) — Student leaders from different university student councils call on the Commission on Higher Education to suspend online classes while the COVID-19 enhanced community quarantine is being implemented.
Among the cited reasons for the petition is the access to internet connection and learning devices, which they argue is a “privilege” and place some students at a disadvantage.
“Surveys conducted within our respective universities ascertain that not all students, including members of the faculty, have access to such,” read a petition letter addressed to CHED. Among the signatories are student representatives from the De La Salle University-Manila, Ateneo de Manila University, University of the Philippines – Diliman, and the University of Santo Tomas.
They also argued that pushing for academic workload amid the rising threats of COVID-19 would only “increase [students’] burden” and “contradicts the purpose of the lockdown, which is to help their families prepare and adjust to the situation at hand.”
The petition also calls for the distribution of online materials for self-learning, which they deem would be beneficial in the preparation of students for class resumption.
“Professors are encouraged to upload readings and tutorials to aid learning at one’s convenience; however, they should not be a requirement and should only be supplementary in nature while face- to-face classes are suspended,” they said.
Student leaders asked that adequate time and leniency on the submission of requirements be afforded to students and that there be no deadlines on the first week of resumption of classes.
Meanwhile, in a statement released Tuesday night, CHED chairman Prospero De Vera III called out the student group SPARK – Samahan ng Progresibong Kabataan for allegedly threatening to flood his account with messages, including the demand for suspension of online classes.
“Storming people’s emails and blasting someone’s facebook account with messages may be considered a cybercrime,” he said. “I urge students to be more circumspect in their actions and more considerate of the Commission and the HEIs during these difficult times.”
The CHED chairman said he has already urged higher education institutions to “review their online classes and adopt other alternative delivery systems in view of the enhanced community quarantine.”
President Rodrigo Duterte earlier placed the entire area of Luzon under enhanced community quarantine to contain COVID-19. This move translated to restricted travel, suspension of work and classes, and curfew implementation. Several areas outside Luzon consequently decided to shut down their borders as the number of confirmed cases rise.
As of March 24, the Department of Health has recorded 638 confirmed COVID 19 cases in the country, with 38 fatalities and 26 recoveries.
