Philippines schoolchildren begin classes at home

Gre school and high school students in Philippines began classes at home Monday after coronavirus pandemic forced remote learning onto an education system alrey struggling to fund schools. shift to distance-learning has been a logistical nightmare for poverty-stricken Souast Asian country that has long lacked eugh classrooms, teachers and equipment.

Nearly 25 million students enrolled this year in mostly 47,000 public schools nationwide that would have to be replicated in homes and enlist help of parents and guardians as co-teachers. Two mors in capital Manila are parking a vehicle close eugh to connect to a neighbor's wifi so ir two daughters, d nine and 10, can huddle over a cellphone to hear ir teacher's lecture.

girls stood outside jeepney to recite patriotic oath and n climbed back inside, balancing phone on a stack of tebooks and craning ir necks to listen. A majority of families, especially from poor and rural communities, opted to use government-provided digital or printed learning materials or "modules," which students would re at home with guidance of ir elders before carrying out specified activities. Most lacked computers and reliable internet connections.

Teachers could answer questions by telephone. rest of families preferred for ir children to get lessons online or through regional rio and TV educational brocasts. President Rodrigo Duterte has said school classes should resume only when a COVID-19 vaccine has been me available, fearing classrooms could become infection hotspots. Philippines has reported more than 322,400 infections, highest in Souast Asia, with more than 5,700 deaths.

(Im Credits: AP)

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