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With a mental health pandemic and digital divide cutting deeper into our educational system, an “academic freeze” must be considered — at least, until and unless the curve has flattened and mass testing has been made and proven effective. At most, a vaccine against COVID-19 should be developed. This pertains to suspending classes or the succeeding academic years in all modes of learning: on-site, off-site, online, and offline.Imagine staying online for weeks, paying for the internet, and going to computer shops, all for the sake of compliance, while families are struggling and others have nothing to eat, thinking only how to survive every day.Pushing through an “off-site and online” mode of learning will just further resurface the digital divide evident in our educational sphere. Not everyone has a stable internet connection and it would be hard or worse, impossible for some students to reach a signal.Institutions equipped to implement this method, by providing gadgets and student allowances, would just increase institutional incompetence in resolving the problems with internet access (not to mention the proper gadgets) of students across the country, as it would leave students of most institutions behind due to incapacity to adopt such measures.Obliging teachers to prepare for the next term is tantamount to overlooking their conditions as well. Cognitive skills may be enriched through online classes, but it would only leave the class to be teacher-centered while emotive and motor skills may be undermined, as there is no hands-on guidance, physical experimentation, and practical activities.Economically affected, agencies, companies, and institutions, whether public or private, can encourage graduating students to apply for a job during the “academic freeze” to uplift local businesses, but they should be lenient in the submission of their academic requirements for employment.Furthermore, a possible loan with no interest agreement, public-private partnership, or government-business coordination can incentivize school employees and contractual workers so they will still be motivated in sustaining and improving their morale and productivity to provide quality education, post-pandemic.Early resumption of classes will just cause additional burden to families and guardians providing tuition and allowances as the transition to “new normal” lets all of us, most especially the indigents, prioritize basic necessities from square one.“Academic freeze” will give the country time to have effective and efficient mass testing or mass vaccination; not only in the hands of one, but for a collective and responsive system to push through this pandemic.As far as there are underprivileged students who are victims of a distorted system, an “academic freeze” is the most plausible option for students, teachers, and school administrators. It allows them to collaborate in helping our frontliners, assisting our local governments, and in helping the country recover from an economic recession by conducting inclusive socio-economic volunteer mobilization programs.No student should be left behind. Education is a right, but crisis response speaks of valuing human lives.
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