March 29, 2024

`As the challenges brought about the Covid-19 pandemic continue to hound the education sector, the Schools Division of Baguio City is confident to implement its Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan (BELCP), which is anchored on the KITE of “Sulong Edukalidad” made to respond to the changing learning environment and calling for aggressive reforms to globalize the quality of basic education in the country.
KITE stands for K to 12 Curriculum review and update, Improvement of learning environment, Teachers’ upskilling and reskilling, and Engagement of stakeholders for support and collaboration.
As the schools under its jurisdiction adopt and integrate the health and safety standards provided by the Inter-Agency Task Force and Department of Health to ensure the well-being of learners and the school, SDO-Baguio continues to innovate by looking at the possibility of delivering quality education in various platforms.
The crafting of SDO Baguio’s BELCP took into consideration the adjustments from school year 2020-2021 Learning Continuity Plan. It has conducted intensive evaluation of the programs, projects, and activities that were implemented and has addressed challenges that were encountered, which were traced from the difficulties teachers, parents and learners, and school heads experienced with the modular distance learning through printed modules. The transformation has started with a training of teachers on digitizing their modules to be incorporated in their school’s contextualized Learning Management System (LMS).
The BELCP for school year 2021-2022 features the courageous stride of SDO-Baguio by having the schools institutionalize a LMS as part of the Online Distance Learning (ODL) catering to students who have the capacity and capability to participate in online classes.
With the hope to fully implement the LMS, the SDO gives the schools a transitory period where printed modules could still be used until ODL through LMS becomes the primary mode of learning. This move was based from latest surveys, which showed 59 percent of learners in the city is able to access online learning using their gadgets.
Mechanisms for possible support include the provision of gadgets to teachers and students through the local government unit and DepEd central office as this is the only way to maximize the LMS.
Although the goals of the BELCP this school year seem to be ambitious because of digital divide, SDO-Baguio City together with 67 public elementary and secondary schools is one with the DepEd in the provision of quality learning and supreme excellence while keeping the health and safety of learners and stakeholders as topmost priorities. (JULIET S. SANNAD)