The Department of Education (DepEd) was recognized by the United Nation International Children’s Emergency Fund (Unicef), citing the country’s prompt response to provide basic education amid the pandemic in the recently-published Ensuring Equal Access to Education in Future Crises: Findings of the New Remote Learning Readiness Index (RLRI).
“In this international recognition, we credit our teachers, parents, partners, learners, and other stakeholders for ensuring that learning opportunities shall be available to all Filipino children and showing the Bayanihan spirit in the realization of the Basic Education-Learning Continuity Plan [BE-LCP],” DepEd said in a news statement.
Through their united efforts, the DepEd said, they were able to manage to support the education of more than 27 million learners while prioritizing their health and safety. Out of the 67 nations analyzed, the Philippines was one of only four countries that received a five-star rating across all levels of basic education in the RLRI, a new composite indicator to measure countries’ readiness to deliver remote learning in response to school closures.
According to the Unicef study, the Philippines, alongside Argentina, Barbados, and Jamaica, had “efficient policy responses supported by high emergency preparedness and existence of household factors that support remote learning.”
“Nonetheless, we also took note of the study’s recommendation in improving the curriculum and addressing learning gaps. The Department, together with our various partners, is continuously developing strategies to solve these familiar issues also encountered by other countries,” DepEd added.
With these developments and the upcoming pilot implementation of face-to-face classes, the DepEd also called on their stakeholders to “work with us in maintaining these positive insights from Unicef and furthering our policies and response to school disruptions.”