Ruim een half jaar na het begin van de lockdown op de Filipijnen, is op 5 oktober het schooljaar eindelijk begonnen. De Pasuk scholieren kunnen echter niet naar school, want nog steeds moeten jongeren onder de 15 jaar in quarantaine blijven. Daarom volgen ruim 22 miljoen kinderen door het hele land thuisonderwijs.
Gemengd leersysteem
Het Filipijnse ministerie van Onderwijs heeft samen met 47.000 ‘public schools’ een gemengd leersysteem ontwikkeld. Met dit nieuwe systeem wordt thuisonderwijs aangeboden. Kinderen die toegang hebben tot goed internet kunnen via een live verbinding lessen volgen. In sommige plaatsen worden er lessen uitgezonden via lokale radio- en televisiestations. Voor kinderen die geen toegang hebben tot goed internet, zijn huiswerkmodules beschikbaar. Daarbij worden de lessen en opdrachten door de onderwijzers geprint en klaargelegd. Iedere week halen ouders een nieuw huiswerkpakket op bij school. In hun huis werken de kinderen zich door de stapel opdrachten heen. Hun docenten zijn via chatprogramma’s bereikbaar voor vragen.
Moeilijk
Deze nieuwe vorm van thuisonderwijs legt een grote druk op de gezinnen. Er wordt van de leerlingen een flinke dosis discipline gevraagd. De meeste ouders vinden het ontzettend moeilijk om hun kinderen te begeleiden, omdat ze druk zijn met broodwinning en/of zelf nauwelijks opleiding hebben genoten. Sommige ouders kunnen pas laat op het werk verschijnen, omdat ze eerst hun kinderen moeten helpen met het huiswerk.
Ondersteuning
Het Pasuk team bezoekt iedere week de gezinnen om de kinderen en hun ouders te bemoedigen en met hen te bidden. Zo houden we vinger aan de pols en ervaren de gezinnen dat ze er niet alleen voor staan. Aan het begin van het schooljaar hebben alle Pasuk scholieren hun schoolpakket ontvangen. Dit jaar bestaat het pakket uit o.a. schriften, kladblokken, pennen, kleurpotloden, viltstiften, schaar en papier. Tevens een kunststof aktetas en een paraplu, zodat de ouders het huiswerk droog en wel kunnen vervoeren tussen school en thuis.
Normaal gesproken komen de kinderen iedere week naar het Pasuk project. Maar vanwege de voortdurende quarantaine kunnen ze nu niet komen. Het is ons verlangen om de kinderen met hun schoolwerk te helpen op het Pasuk project. In ons computerlokaal zouden zij hun online lessen kunnen volgen en ook huiswerk maken. Dit is echter pas mogelijk als eerst de quarantaine wordt opgeheven en onze scholieren eindelijk hun huis mogen verlaten.
Gebedsverzoek
Wat er ook gebeurt, we stellen ons vertrouwen op de Heere God. Wilt u met ons meebidden voor de kinderen en hun gezinnen? Dat God hen zal ondersteunen in deze uitdagende tijd. Dat de thuisquarantaine voor de kinderen zal worden opgeheven, zodat we hen weer mogen ontvangen op het Pasuk project. Hartelijk bedankt voor uw meeleven en gebed.
Foto's
Bekijk hieronder foto's van de Pasuk scholieren die thuis hun schoolwerk maken.
Van onze projectdirecteur
Lees hieronder de update van Pasuk projectdirecteur Russel Villafuerte:
Russel Villafuerte
Cebu City, 31 October 2020
Dear sponsors of Pasuk Foundation,
Warm greetings to all of you there in the Netherlands!
We would like to give you an update of the present situation and the challenges we are facing in the midst of this pandemic. Especially on the Covid19 restrictions and the education or schooling of our dear Pasuk scholars.
Our Church, Cebu Bible Church, is always grateful to the love and concern you have shown and given to us. Our partnership with Pasuk Foundation is really a wonderful blessing to our community. The heaviness and difficulty of Covid19 lock downs and restrictions becomes bearable because of the financial support we have continuously received from you. The food packs and the school supplies have lightened the burden in each family of our dear Pasuk scholars.
Although the Covid19-curve has flattened here, our local government welcomed the decision of President Rodrigo Duterte to place the capital city under the modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) for another month.
Our President Duterte announced that the “rest of the country” would be placed under MGCQ. Including Cebu city and Cebu province as a whole.
“After a month of being under less stringent quarantine measures, I am glad to say that Cebu City was able to keep virus transmission down,” Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella said in a statement posted on his official social media page.
He said he issued Executive Order (EO) 94 “reiterating the guidelines for residents, workers, businesses, public transport, government facilities, and other establishments” under the downgraded quarantine status.
The EO prohibits residents from roaming around except when reporting for work or buying necessities.
Labella said “only one member of the household is allowed to go out” in accessing essential goods and services and should always carry the quarantine pass issued by the city government.
Residents who are below 21 years old and 60 years old and above as well as those with immunodeficiency and comorbidity are required to remain in their homes, he said.
The EO also listed down “negative activities” which are not allowed due to the impossibility of avoiding mass gathering and imposing physical distancing. These are: holding of traditional cockfighting and cockpit operation, holding of concerts, and operation of beer-houses and amusement parks.
Meanwhile, the city allowed religious services, work conferences, and sporting events but with a 50-percent limit in attendance.
“The virus is still in our midst. This is not the time to let our guard down. We carry on with the policies that have kept us safe: going out only for essential activities, wearing a mask and face shield, observing physical distancing, and regularly washing or sanitizing hands,” Labella said.
The mayor attributed the flattening of the curve in the city to the cooperation of the residents, especially in religiously following the minimum health and safety protocols.
Education Secretary Leonor Briones claimed government's win over the Covid19 pandemic as over 22 million students from public schools return to school thru modular and blended way of schooling, despite the outcry of teachers and parents facing multiple challenges.
The Department of Education officially opened academic year 2020-2021 for 47,000 public schools nationwide through blended learning after it rejected appeals for an academic freeze or postponement of school opening.
Classes were supposed to open in early June but the start was pushed back twice to October 5 following appeals from teachers, students, parents, and several school officials. However, concerns persist on the safety and accessibility of the new modes of learning. Slow internet connection and lack of gadgets hamper the learning of some children. Because of those issues, some parents chose modular learning, but teachers are burdened with the distribution of printed material not to mention the dangers of Covid19 infection when they go out to communities.
"Today we celebrate a great victory, we declare our victory over Covid19... We will not allow Covid19 to destroy our children's education and their future," Briones said during DepEd's online event.
She said education cannot be postponed despite the raging Covid19 crisis. She urged critics to stop the debates on DepEd's decision. "There are crisis and constant challenges. Even if it's hard, we need to do it. We cannot wait any longer. We need to resume classes even if there are challenges." Briones said.
In an interview with CNN Philippines on Monday, Education Undersecretary Tonisito Umali likewise lauded the opening of the school year. "It was an excellent first day of classes." Umali said.
Umali also recognized the challenges still existing for students, including the lack of stable internet connection and the late arrival of learning modules. He said 207 TV channels and 162 radio stations nationwide have partnered with school division offices to air the modules.
He also said the department has issued guidelines for teachers in the grading and assessment of students, as well as a guide for parents helping with their children's lessons.
The parents and guardians of our scholars really find it hard to help their school children in studying and answering their modules. They have to leave some of their household chores just to spend time assisting their kids on modules. Working parents and guardians often experience being late in coming to their workplace because of helping our scholar in their modules.
Once again we are extending our gratitude to all the sponsors and donors of PASUK Foundation for generously giving their regular support.
We also thank sir Martijn Ros - founder and chairman of Pasuk Foundation - for his wonderful leadership. We also extend our thanks to our sister church in Apeldoorn, Filadelfia, for praying for us.
To God be all the glory!
Praying with you all,
Pastor Russel Villafuerte Pasuk Project Director, Cebu Bible Church
