The jury is still out on whether distance education, or even physical distancing in education, will effectively keep our children healthy, physically safe, and properly educated during the COVID-19 pandemic. I am sure there is plenty of research out there on the pros and cons of distance learning. More should be made public to help people make informed decisions based on data.
A discussion among policymakers — and even among parents — is when and how the school year should start for 2020-2021. As a parent, I am uncomfortable with sending my child back to school this August. But the reality is that many parents cannot afford to keep their children at home all throughout the year, either. And, distance learning is not easily accessible to everybody.
Growing up, I received part of my education through television shows like Sesame Street and The Electric Company. I also recall specialized shows that successfully educated adults. Tele-Aralan ng Kakayahan, hosted by Cecilia Garrucho, was put together by Great Wall Advertising, Philippines, Inc. and Philip Morris International as a public service and skills development program. It ran for a number of years. Then, there was Ating Alamin, hosted by Gerry Geronimo, a farming show that was put together by Advertising and Marketing Associates (AMA) along with the Department of Agriculture. At the time, TV must have been the most effective medium for “distance learning.” Radio didn’t allow for visuals, while print was limited by how much space newspapers and magazines could devote to educational features. Today, however, the internet and online modes, along with computers and mobile devices, appear to be the media of choice.
If only we acted with urgency on initiatives dating back around 13 years ago, then maybe we wouldn’t be having too many problems around starting school this year. I recall that it was some time in 2007 when the initiative was taken to improve Philippine education through the proposed Philippine Cyber Education Project or CyberEd.
The project objective was to network or link all public schools electronically. Thailand already had a similar system of distance learning in place, and served as a good model for the project. But the Department of Education (DepEd) was never given the opportunity to pilot test the proposed project. To this day, I still believe the proposal deserved public and government support and approval.
The CyberEd project would have used satellite technology to deliver educational services to public elementary and secondary schools nationwide. Schools would have been linked to a nationwide network that would provide 12 video channels, wireless wide area networking, local area networking, and wireless Internet connectivity.
Almost 38,000 schools, or 90% of all public schools nationwide at the time, would have been connected by 2010. Using satellite technology, the DepEd would broadcast live classes conducted by national master teachers simultaneously to millions of students nationwide. These live broadcasts would feature lectures and presentations from master teachers as well as courseware on demand and other resource materials.
Another approach to education reform at the time was PBEd or the Philippine Business for Education initiative. Its objectives included soliciting support from businesses for strategies and actions that could direct, accelerate, broaden, or sustain education reform. It also aimed to mobilize commitment in support of strategic action.
The Department of Education actually supported CyberEd, if I recall correctly. The Arroyo Administration even provided a budget for it. But there was much political opposition to the project, as it was beleaguered by corruption allegations and tainted by Chinese involvement. I recall in particular Congressman Ronnie Zamora, then Senator Chiz Escudero, and even the business sector’s PBEd were all opposed to it.
Escudero had claimed the $466-million cyber education project should be shelved in favor of more classrooms. He also claimed that the project would not lower the government cost for teachers and training. It should be noted that CyberEd, had it pushed through, would have competed with Knowledge Channel of ABS-CBN.
Escudero, in a newspaper interview, said taped lessons, like those of the Knowledge Channel, were a better alternative since students would not miss lessons when classes need to be suspended due to inclement weather. Escudero said CyberEd should have considered the fact that 7,000 barangays in the country didn’t not have electricity. But isn’t it that even Knowledge Channel will require the use of an appliance that required electricity?
And weighing in on the opposition to CyberEd program, Peter AV Perfecto, associate director of PBEd, said pursuing the project would sour relations between DepEd and the private sector, especially with private business groups who extended billions in financial assistance to public schools for the construction of school buildings and classrooms as well as vital teacher training programs.
Looking back, I honestly believe we could have benefitted from the CyberEd project had it been given the chance to materialize. We would have been better equipped by now to undertake distance learning. And we would have learned from our mistakes and would have gained enough experience to know what can and cannot work in distance education. And we would have been better prepared for catastrophic events like COVID-19.
There have been many initiatives since then to help improve the public school system, including the transition to K-12. We have added to classrooms, and devoted resources to teacher training. But we still hesitated to invest in more technology-driven systems and approaches to education and learning. Now, both students and teachers hesitate to physically report to schools and face each other for fear of getting sick. What do we do with all those vacant classrooms?
Perhaps our children are actually doing better in school now than back then. But the thing is, COVID-19 has just made everything difficult and unpredictable, and it is unclear if policymakers have the strong resolve to put effective approaches in place. CyberEd is water under the bridge. And there is no telling if we would have been better off now had the project materialized.
But we also realize that nowadays, we need technology in education more than ever. Perhaps we should revisit past initiatives like CyberEd, and maybe enhance it or improve on it and see how it can be made relevant, useful, and practical in today’s environment. Technology has likewise advanced, and maybe a project like or similar to CyberEd may be even more timely to implement now given improved satellite and wireless technologies and mobile devices.
We should also learn from the success of educational TV shows like Tele-Aralan and Ating Alamin in terms of content development, and how some of their positive elements can be replicated for dissemination on free TV and online. The economy is in trouble, and many people are struggling. Economic survival is paramount. Adult education is just as important for those in dire need of new skills and opportunities. But, keeping our children safe, healthy, and educated is just as if not more important. They are our future.
Marvin Tort is a former managing editor of BusinessWorld, and a former chairman of the Philippines Press Council.
