As the COVID-19 pandemic closed off universities nationwide, the country’s learning system offered three choices: online classes, blended learning or modular learning. But some college students have fallen helplessly into the fourth one – dropping out.
The pandemic brought a towering stack of bills against the scarce income of Grade 12 student Kirk Peroy’s family. So he knew exactly what to do next. The 19-year-old had to step back from schooling to take some weight off his family’s financial burdens.
Dropping out was a bitter pill for Kirk to swallow – one he never once imagined – but it was the only choice he had.
‘You have lost your connection’
Financial difficulty is one of the main reasons for dropping out of the remote learning setup, a survey by the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC) found.
In Sept. 2020, PASUC estimated that 54,365 students would be unable to enroll during the pandemic, 81% of whom are college students.
The numbers are only approximated as the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), tasked to oversee higher education institutions in the country, has not released official figures.
Kirk had already passed the entrance examination of the college he applied to, but did not push through because he couldn’t pay for his slot upon enrollment. He eventually dropped out of schooling altogether.
“Feel ko male-left behind ako and mahihirapan na siguro ako bumalik kase nga nag-stop ka na,” Kirk told TNP. “‘Yung knowledge [ko] ‘di gano’n katulad no’ng nag-aaral pa.”
Among those unable to continue schooling is Karen Constantino, a 19-year-old college student. Upon learning she would need to drop out, she couldn’t help but tear up.
While she had briefly joined her classmates in the online learning setup, the high costs and the poor quality of education pushed her to discontinue instead.
“Inisip ko rin kasi, online class lang, parang hindi ko naman nasusulit ‘yung tuition fee,” she said. “Natututo lang talaga ako depende rin sa teacher or … sa mode ng pagtuturo ng teacher. Tapos nung online class, more on self-study ako.”
When she was attending virtual classes, she would stay at her friend’s house to connect to their internet. In her visits, she would also make a living through live stream where she would sing, dance and interact with viewers in real-time to pay for her tuition fee.
The challenges that prompt college learners to step back from schooling also affect their mental wellbeing. Online learning firm Desire 2 Learn found that mental health was a roadblock that hindered 43% of students surveyed across universities, vocational schools and K-12 institutions in the Philippines.
Eleasha Gico, a 20-year-old incoming college student, took her mental health into consideration before dropping out. She initially planned to stop for only a year after graduating senior high school, but mental health and financial issues pushed her to also skip the current academic year.
Had she pursued her studies during the remote learning system, Eleasha said she would have only experienced the stress her friends tell her about. She adds that it’s not worth enduring the subpar learning that the current distance learning setup offers.
Meeting goals
“There are times na naiisip mo baka naiiwanan na ko, they will graduate sooner than I [will],” Eleasha said. “Pero at the same time … I’m happy din na hindi muna ako natuloy kasi I get to focus on myself more.”
While she has not yet enrolled in school, Eleasha devotes time to her mental and physical wellbeing. She grabbed the opportunity to explore her hobbies: sewing clothes and painting.
Karen spent her time off of school to apply for a call center job, where she has been working on-site since Oct. 18. Working and earning money diverted her attention away from the sadness she feels from being left behind at school.
“Naiiyak ako lagi ‘pag nakatambay lang ako sa bahay tapos nakikita ko sila nag-aaral,” she said.
While the decision to temporarily forgo their education afforded time to learn new skills, deepen passions and earn money on their own, the students’ desire to go back to school has not waned.
“Kung makapagtapos man yung ibang [batchmates], … okay lang,” Karen said. “Itutuloy ko pa rin ‘yung pag-aaral.”
Despite multiple detours, Kirk’s ambition to attain a bachelor’s degree in Air Transportation never faded. After taking a pause from school, he ventured into business to earn and help ease his family’s financial problems.
“‘Yung mga kinikita ko [ay] binibigay ko halos lahat sa parents ko kasi nakita ko na need talaga nila,” he said.
While still unenrolled in his college program, he shared his plans to take up a vocational course in the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, but restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic have postponed this plan several times.
Against all the delays, Kirk maintained his goal to take off for his ultimate dream.
“Nakikita ko naman ngayon na kaya ko nang pag-aralin ‘yung sarili ko na ‘di ako umaasa sa magulang ko, may sarili na akong kita,” he told TNP. “Nakikita ko na baka makakaya ko namang matapos […] ‘yung college.”
As soon as classes are conducted in-person, Karen said she will get back to school no matter the cost. Besides, there is a holy grail waiting for her in the face-to-face setup: a college degree that everyone in her family has envisioned but never got the chance to achieve.
Karen hopes to be the one to fulfill her family’s dreams.
Slow reconnection
As the Philippines became the last country in the world to reopen schools for physical classes, it was easy for Kirk, Karen and Eleasha to lose count of the days they have spent out of school.
The pilot testing of face-to-face sessions in kindergarten to Grade 3 and senior high school began on Nov. 15. The Inter-agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases approved limited face-to-face classes for higher education institutions in areas under Alert Levels 1 to 3.
In-person activities would be allowed only with permission from local government units, vaccination among students and faculty and the retrofitting of classroom facilities.
“Gusto ko talaga na kasi mag-aral nang face-to-face na,” Kirk said. “Feeling ko kasi sobrang mahihirapan akong mag-survive sa online class. Alam ko naman mairaraos ko pero mahirap siguro talaga.”
For the National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP), the struggle for safe, accessible, and quality education remains a long battle as several safeguards are omitted from CHED’s guidelines.
The student union pointed out the lack of necessary measures that will secure the welfare of learners such as mass hiring of medical personnel for schools and medical funds for stakeholders who will contract the virus.
While the reopening of schools is in the works, NUSP said CHED must answer the calls of stakeholders and ensure that no more students are left behind.
As long as the plights of constituents fall on closed ears, students will have to combat the same preventable problems every single day they study on their own.
“Sa experience ng mga kaibigan ko, [masasabi] ko na ‘yung ginawa nilang alternative learning setup para sa mga estudyante ay ‘di effective at [kaunti] lang talaga yung [natututo] unlike na [face-to-face],” Kirk said.
Unless issues are addressed through proper and efficient intervention, educational institutions will continue leaving behind students like Kirk, Karen and Eleasha. Many more would be tied to financial burden, with dropping out as the most viable option for survival.
