Manila, 23 August 2022 (TDI): Save the Children Philippines chapter has issued a formal statement on the reopening of schools in the country. “Learning must no longer be disrupted” is the emphasis of the statement.
READ: Save the Children’s Statement on Safe Back to School for SY 2022-2023https://t.co/2Q5PbFLfUG pic.twitter.com/nHb74C6ivS
— Save the Children Philippines (@SaveChildrenPH) August 22, 2022
Save the Children, Philippines has endorsed the necessity that educational institutions formally open up for this year.
However, it has demanded that the safety of face-to-face classes for kids and adults is strictly guaranteed. The organization stated safeguarding mental health and well-being should be a priority.
Save the Children is offering assistance in the solution of this schooling problem. The group has urged all members of society to cooperate to secure everyone’s health and safety, safeguard their wellbeing, and improve access to high-quality, inclusive education.
The Philippines is one of the most recent states to resume physical classrooms following the outbreak of the pandemic COVID-19. The country’s response to the pandemic-caused school shutdown is now clearer than ever after two and a half years.
According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), students throughout Developing Asia, including the Philippines, missed an estimated more than half a year of productive learning.
Meanwhile, a recent World Bank survey found that by the age of 10, more than 90% of Filipino youngsters face difficulty with reading and comprehending simple texts.
The sizeable number of youngsters who are no longer in school—nearly 500,000— makes this issue worse.
Statement by UNICEF Philippines Spokesman
UNICEF has applauded the reopening of schools in the Philippines. Children’s return to in-person education, according to UNICEF Philippines spokesperson Niko Wieland, is a “great step in the right direction.”
He stated that “Face-to-face learning is absolutely essential. We know that prolonged absence from school and not being in school leads to higher dropout rates.”
“It deprives children of the ability to learn, to be with their peers, which are so essential, especially in the younger years, when children need to spend their time developing their social skills. So today is a moment to celebrate.”
