Developing a Calibrated Class Suspension Mechanism

Friday, 05 August 2011 01:46

Written by Aaron Benedict De Leon

“Classes are suspended!” Normally, when students hear of this announcement, some would pop out of their seats and rejoice. But during the recent spate of typhoons that have ravaged the country, it seems like students want to say in school, not because they are very curious to learn, but because they have no safe passage way en route back to their respective homes.

This had been the case for the past few days, and past few years, during the months of July, August and September, usual months when strong typhoons usually pay a visit to our country. However, as anticipated or predictable as this maybe, the response of our Educational Institutions, public or private and various Government agencies, has always been deemed late, if not useless.

The CHED continues to maintain that its devolved approach on suspending classes during rains or floods would be the most effective way to address the issue on cancellation of classes. But the assumptions which fall under the solution are also one size fits all remedies to the problem.

First, there is always a universal assumption that everyone comes from a specific place going to school. This is a false presumption. Though the roads leading to a specific school are the same, the roads that students pass that lead to those roads are not the same. Should we only consider the premises of the school in suspending classes? Or should we be more concerned towards the welfare of the students en route to going to their classes?

Being a Commission on Higher Education, they exercise an authority over all educational institutions, may it be private or public. Devolving the announcement of cancellation of classes can be equated to devolving responsibility as well, and this should not be the case. It is not empowering the schools to do the needful, but they are simply excusing themselves of the responsibility once our weather system fails to properly forecast.

It should also stop depending and relying on storm signals in the cancellation of classes. The module in class suspension being followed is already outmoded, since it does not take into account flooding as a function. Class suspensions should depend on the extent of damage the typhoon can and has already brought to a certain area, and not heavily reliant on the amount of rainfall of the typhoon.

I feel that to address the situation more responsively, the CHED has to have an assessment and coordinating power to capture the overall situation during typhoons. They have that competence and that capacity; therefore, they should take the lead in making pronouncements on the suspension of classes. Not only does it require them to coordinate with PAG-ASA, but to continuously keep in touch and coordinate with the MMDA to track the flooding and traffic situation within the Metropolis, since the MMDA has the capacity to communicate with local government units.

Discretionary Strategies in the suspension of classes will only lead to further confusion of the general public. I think the CHED has the better infrastructure to communicate and inform the general public, which includes schools, about class suspension. They have ready media access at the most urgent time. During these times, Social Networking and Broadcast Media have an equal capacity in informing the public of the situation, and CHED should not invoke the capacity of Social Networking in disseminating public information, because Social Networking does not have majority capture of the general public population, though it has a significant reach in getting across information to students.

At the end of the day, Government Organization and the efficiency of the system to facilitate communication with educational institutions would be vital in not only saving the effort of students in going to school, but also in carrying forward reforms to perfect the system, in as far as cancellation of classes during typhoons would be concerned.

Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites