CHED rejects academic freeze appeal

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) did not welcome the academic freeze appeal of some parents and students amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Tuesday.

CHED executive director Cinderella Jaro said in an interview on Unang Hirit that the academic freeze proposal was seemingly based on an assumption and “misconception” that classes for college this school year would be exclusively online.

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“Yung sinasabi nila na academic freeze, siguro po dahil po ito sa misconception na naka-focus lang po ang Commission on Higher Education sa tinatawag na online learning na hindi naman po,” she said.

Jaro said CHED is advocating for “flexible learning” which is a combination of online, offline and blended learning.

“Sa flexible learning po, dito po ini-emphasize namin na hindi lang po ito online, meron ding offline at meron ding blended learning,” she said.

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He added that the flexible learning approach was a result of CHED’s consultations with stakeholders, higher education institutions, students, and experts.

A higher educational institution could choose which among three learning modalities would be best for them and their students.

“Kasi alam naman natin na may mga estudyanteng may limit talaga o wala namang koneksiyon [sa internet] kaya naman kung anong kapasidad ng kanilang mga estudyante ay dapat itong tignan ng colleges at universities at i-base nila ang kanilang mode of learning sa kapasidad ng mga estudyante, sa kapasidad ng kanilang institusyon,” Jaro said.

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CHED rejects academic freeze appeal

DepEd and the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA) earlier rejected some students’ appeal for an academic freeze.

Education Undersecretary for Legislative Affairs, External Partnerships and Project Management Service Tonisito Umali said in an interview on Dobol B as News TV that over 24 million students already enrolled.

“‘Yan ang maaaring tingnan na maraming mga anak na… wala pong gagawin sa gitna ng kanilang pagpapahayag (ng academic freeze),” Umali said.

“Posibleng naninibago pa ang karamihan… kung kaagad na academic freeze ang gagawin natin eh baka mabigat naman po ito masyado,” he added.

Meanwhile, COCOPEA managing director Joseph Noel Estrada said students could suffer learning loss from an academic freeze.