Ilocos Norte schools mull radio as medium of instruction

By Dominic B. dela Cruz & Leilanie G. Adriano (Staff Reporters)

LAOAG CITY—There is no stopping the Department of Education (DepEd) in Laoag City to reach out to its learners even in the face of the coronavirus disease.

If face-to-face and online instruction is not possible for learners, Laoag City Schools Division Superintendent Vilma Eda said teachers can also explore radio as an alternative mode of learning.

In partnership with the Ilocos Norte College of Arts and Trades located at the heart of the city, the school-based FM Broadcast Station, DWAT-FM 93.9 MHz went live on Monday to test its effectivity to young learners.

Once everything is in place following its repair, Ilocos Norte learners will be the first to utilize radio-based instruction in the entire region. The station will also serve as a training venue for campus journalists in radio broadcasting as well as a laboratory for students enrolled in Electronics Products Assembly and Services.

“At this point in time when life is really hard due to global pandemic, learning should continue no matter what,” said Mrs. Eda citing various learning modalities such as online learning, video-mediated instruction, blended learning including radio-based instruction are being explored to address the different needs of learners.

Mrs. Eda also announced simulation classes will be conducted to facilitate learning continuity plan and all of these should be ready before the expected August 24, 2020 opening of classes.

“Education is everybody’s concern because that will determine the survival of our people. In pandemic like this, what may come in the future may even be worse than the COVID-19. The only way to survive this is to create the future now by educating our children well,” she stressed.

Shirley Agsunod, INCAT school principal, said the school has been operating the FM broadcast station since May 2017 and they are hoping to upgrade the facility to cater to a wider audience particularly among young learners who have no internet access in Laoag, Batac City and the entire province.

 

Plan presentation to the council

Meanwhile, Mrs. Eda presented the “Contextualized Learning Continuity Initiatives” in preparation for school year 2020-2021 to the city’s Sangguniang Panlungsod.

In the presentation, the city education chief discussed the 39 public schools, 27 private schools, and one state university in the city, wherein she said they projected 29,536 enrollees from kindergarten to senior high school.

She disclosed that there were 29,219 enrollees for the last school year.

As of June 9, 2020, she said they have already accepted 19,249 enrollees, or 65.17 percent of the projected enrollment total.

In terms of readiness in learning facilities, Mrs. Eda said they have sufficient classrooms and teachers.

She added that they are also discussing means to keep within President Rodrigo Duterte’s pronouncement that there should be no “face-to-face” learning until a vaccine for COVID-19 becomes available.