The Department of Education (DepEd) opposes the ‘no fail policy’ or the recommendation to pass all students to class this School Year 2020-2021 because of the learning challenges they are facing due to the impact of pandemic COVID-19.
According to DepEd Undersecretary Diosdado San Antonio, it is not fair for many students who are still trying to study despite the challenges of the pandemic, if even students who do not take their studies seriously will also be passed.
San Antonio explains that children need to understand that learning is serious and requires hard work.
He also stressed that children will be more motivated to study because they know that all their efforts are well marked by the teachers.
According to San Antonio, they understand that the proposal wants to reduce the stress and anxiety of children, but insisted that not all children can pass.
San Antonio further stressed that implementing a ‘no fail policy’ will not teach children responsibility.
No fail policy in UP
In November 2020, the University of the Philippines (UP) announced it will implement a no fail policy amid the pandemic.
“UP to implement a no fail policy this semester where a grade of “4” or “5” shall not be given. OVPAA to release guidelines soon,” OSR said in a Twitter post.
“This is an initial victory for the UP student body as we continuously fight for the most inclusive and compassionate solutions for our education! UP, pakinggan ang UP community!” the OSR said in a tweet.
UP officials decided to impose no fail policy amid calls to immediately end the semester and pass all students due to the series of destructive typhoons that affected students.
“Due to the onslaught of consecutive typhoons, more members of the UP community suffer from further inaccessibility to resources such as internet connectivity and learning devices, with some students being gravely affected by the disaster,” the alliance said.
“Amidst all of these, students are still obligated to worry about their academic deadlines instead of focusing solely on recovering from the repercussions that the recent calamities have caused, which were amplified due to the government’s negligence,” it added.