Citing reports of students holding a “Christmas sale” of sensual photos and videos to raise funds for distance learning-related expenses, Senator Win Gatchalian urged the Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Cybercrime and the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) Anti-Cybercrime Group to intensify their probe and crackdown on these activities.

While the dry runs on limited face-to-face classes in low-risk areas would have addressed some challenges that hound distance learning, Senator Win Gatchalian said that the government’s rescinding of its green light is a precautionary measure against a new strain of COVID-19 that is now spreading across the world.

While the global assessment Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2019 revealed that the Philippines lags behind 57 other countries in Math and Science achievements, the study also reported that less than 50 percent of Grade 4 learners only were receiving instructions with “high clarity”.

Senator Win Gatchalian is urging the National Task Force Against COVID-19 to include public school teachers in the prioritized groups for the roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccine, together with non-teaching staff and school administrators. 

After the dismal results of the Philippines in the Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM) in 2019 and the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) in 2018, another global assessment shows that the country’s basic education learners have failed. 

A recently-released Southeast Asia-wide study on the learning outcomes of Grade 5 learners in 2019 revealed that around 20 percent of learners in the Philippines share Mathematics or Reading textbooks.

A Southeast Asia-wide study on the learning outcomes of Grade 5 students showed that a large number of Filipino learners are not proficient enough in Reading, Writing, and Math to advance to secondary school. For Senator Win Gatchalian, this reiterates the urgency of rolling out basic education curriculum reforms that would boost Filipino learners’ basic competencies.

Amid the celebration of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Senator Win Gatchalian reiterated the need to institutionalize accessible and disability-responsive education services nationwide.

Senator Win Gatchalian eyes introducing legislation that will give every public school learner a laptop and access to the internet.