BALANGA CITY — Modular and online learning are the most preferred distant learning modalities of parents and enrollees in Balanga City for this school year in the absence of face-to-face classes amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) health crisis.
In a radio interview Tuesday, Department of Education Balanga School Governance and Operations Division Chief Education Supervisor Flordeliza Del Rosario said parents of incoming public elementary and high school students are given choices on alternative modalities as they enroll their children remotely.
Del Rosario shared that during the enrollment conducted June 1 to 5, parents were surveyed if they prefer modular learning, television or radio-based instruction, online learning, or combination of the said modalities for their children on the upcoming school year.
“From the survey conducted last week, most parents of incoming Kindergarten and elementary pupils chose modular learning, which means learning materials will be prepared by teachers and delivered to the students,” she revealed.
From the initial reports on the survey, 3,482 out of 6,620 or 52.60 percent of registered enrollees for public Kindergarten and Grade 1 to 6 including Learners with Special Education Needs chose modular learning.
“Online learning came second, while the television-based instruction is on the third most preferred in the city,” Del Rosario added.
However, majority of the Grade 7 to 12 enrollees prefer online learning, wherein 3,799 out of the 6,435 chose the virtual platform as their choice for the distance learning method.
Modular learning is the second on the survey as chosen by 2,994 enrollees, while combination of different modalities came third as opted by 935 high school enrollees in the city.
Del Rosario also reiterated the recent pronouncement of Education Secretary Leonor Briones on the postponement of face-to-face classes in all schools until a vaccine against COVID-19 becomes available.
Balanga City has 18 public elementary schools and 3 high schools. Two of those secondary schools are offering academic tracks for senior high.