Students call for academic break as ECQ in NCR Plus extended
By Elyjah Rosales
 |
| PHOTO: ABS-CBN News |
Some students are asking education agencies to temporarily suspend online classes, as ‘NCR Plus’ areas keep its strict lockdown status for at least one more week.
Progressive organizations, campus publications, and Filipino students online took to social media to call for academic break citing the challenges of distance learning aggravated by the one-week extension enhanced community quarantine in some areas.
As of writing, academic break is among the trending Twitter topics with more than 3,000 tweets.
The University of the Philippines (UP) and Polytechnic University of the Philippines (UP) filed separate petitions seeking such through their Rise for Education (R4E) chapters.
"This is [in line] with the recently announced extension of the [ECQ] and as such, suspension can help provide ample time for the community to adjust to the implemented protocol," R4E-UP Diliman said in a statement.
Meanwhile, R4E-PUP also sought to extend the submission of modules as the university's partner courier is as well "limited" due to the quarantine.
Other institutions staged surveys and online protests to amplify the same call.
On Saturday, Malacañang announced that the ECQ in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal will be extended until April 11 as the country is still grappling with the sharp increase in new COVID-19 infections.
Due to the pandemic, the usual face-to-face classes has been suspended as the education sector shifts to alternative learning modalities this school year.