anti academic freeze essay

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Refusal for an Academic Freeze: An Ideal But Unrealistic Decision

John Syril Siquijor

Trisha Mae Rojales

• May 17, 2021

Because of the emerging peril of COVID-19 in the Philippines, the government introduced a new learning approach to be adopted by all educational institutions along with its students: Online Learning. And, with the ongoing threat of the pandemic, online education is only reasonable; thus accepted by the people. What was not well received by the public, however, was the refusal of an academic freeze. Regardless of the clamors made by the public, the Department of Education (DepEd) still refused the petition for an academic freeze nationwide, thereby continuing the opening of classes. A glaring fault in this refusal is the reality that the Philippines is not prepared. We are not prepared to implement such drastic changes under the assumption that with their limited preparation, online learning would be workable to push immediately — workable to the fortunate, but not to those who are less fortunate. Hence, the academic freeze is not a petition to discontinue classes from happening. They purely meant it to give more time. It may not be an ideal action, but it is certainly realistic to stop the widening digital divide in the Philippines.

First point: the petition for an academic freeze may not sound ideal, but it is assuredly realistic considering the situation of the Philippines. During the nationwide lockdown caused by COVID-19, many businesses either temporarily or permanently  closed  their operations because of the great loss of customers. While there are still businesses that survived the ordeal, this often came with an opportunity cost: to either give salaries lower than what they had agreed upon or to end the employment of someone. What this implies concerning the academic freeze is that pushing for an already expensive online education when not everybody has the means to comply with it, simply for the fear of being left out, will only aggravate the struggles and stress given to them by the pandemic. That, certainly, is not being realistic.

Second point: insisting education to continue, regardless of the situation, will only romanticize, once again, what has been coined as “Filipino resiliency.” There is this idea that Filipinos will always smile even when faced with a calamity. We know Filipinos are known to be strong individuals, who will always manage their situations no matter how bad it is. Though it may sound good, in reality, it is not. This Filipino resiliency becomes an excuse for some people to neglect their situation because they can and will manage. What this signifies to the refusal for an academic freeze is that Filipinos are once again indirectly expected to deal with whatever challenges they are facing using their creativity and resiliency, which could only further widen the digital divide — to the extent that the two clusters of society (the privileged and underprivileged) are no longer visible to each other.

Hence, although we cannot reverse what already happened, the only thing that we could do is to make sure that we will continue to help and lift the burden laden to them by the pandemic. We should make sure that this divide, not only in technology but also in all aspects of life, will not widen to the extent that it is already impossible to bridge it. We must always remember that we should, at all times, be considerate of others’ situations. We should not neglect the lives of the minority only because we or the majority can. All it takes is a bit of empathy: what if you were them?

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Insisting on an Academic Freeze Isn’t the Solution (or Why Are We So Hypersensitive?)

Academic freeze is like giving up and flipping the table during a board game at the slightest sign of hardship.

Disasters affect most of the classes and school activities. Households wait for the official announcement if classes are suspended or not during. The question is, Is academic freeze a solution to the problem?

We are in the virtual age, yet the system is the same. After Typhoons Siony, Tonyo, and Ulysses there's a clamor for an academic freeze or cessation of education activities. Most people think that the pandemic, disasters, and pressures in the unprepared educational system overwhelmed the students.

Sure! Breaks are acceptable, especially in the areas affected by the disasters. Department of Education has rejected canceling the school year for an academic freeze and insists that it will do more harm than good.

“It does not take into consideration the adjustments that would have to be made for the succeeding school year if we continue to prolong the already four months of interruption of the learning process for this school year (academic freeze),” said DepEd Undersecretary Nepomuceno Malaluan.

At the risk of sounding like a curmudgeon, I Think the oldies at DepEd are right. In the flooded areas, places without power and internet. Academic freeze should be automatic.

We face an unprecedented crisis almost every day of our lives. No one is downplaying the effects of the pandemic and natural disasters on students’ physical and mental health. Still, it’s arrogant to assume other people's hardships and impose a solution to a complex issue. Call for an academic freeze everywhere else in the country too far.

The DepEd might have its faults and I believe they are doing their best to ensure that students get the education they need.

For an instance we had people rise against Harry Styles on the cover of a magazine, the depiction of physically deformed people in Anne Hathaway’s new movie, white “sand” dumped over the stink of Manila Bay; heck, people have been up in arms over the new RC Cola commercial, calling it offensive to families who adopt. 

There are some things worth our outrage, and it’s good to use our voice in social media to defend the voiceless and bring attention to issues that might not see the light.

“But here’s an idea: how about we try not expending all our energy yelling at our digital screens at every little thing that ticks us off and triggers our fury button?”

We don’t have to be offended by the issue du jour, tous les jours . So Sia decided to cast non-autistic people in her new movie. If that speaks to you personally, then @ her on socials. I f you’re just jumping on the bandwagon, that concludes how empty your life is. Insert that “People are dying, Kim” GIF here.

It’s so easy for us to do virtue signaling (An act of being self-righteous in front of others while not living and upholding these beliefs.) in the comfort of our homes, but the reality is only a few take virtual activism to real life. 

That takes us right back to the students whose campaigning for the academic freeze for the sake of their mental health. They may have a point but it seems to us that giving in to these demands would be a cop-out.

“It’s like giving up and flipping the table during a board game at the slightest sign of hardship or defeat.”

There are many things to fix in our educational system—questionable modules, overworked teachers, flawed processes, just to name a few. In conclusion, Insisting on an academic freeze is pointless and rebuilding our educational system is our ultimate dream until that happens. There’s no reason we should put education on hold in order to capitulate to the demands of the privileged.

RELATED: From Mass Academic Strikes to School Closures, Here’s How Local Private Schools Are Doing in a Pandemic.

Words Matt Leopoldo

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OPINION: An ‘academic freeze’ is the best option for Filipino students for now

Written by Ervine Jules B. Sape, Bianca Mae R. Aquino, and Andrea Isahbel G. Olivar

Updated Jun 1, 2020, 5:38:37 PM

With a mental health pandemic and digital divide cutting deeper into our educational system, an “academic freeze” must be considered. Photo by JILSON TIU

Manila (CNN Philippines Life) — In South Korea, two students tested positive for COVID-19 as 66 schools reopened. In the Philippines, a 20 year-old student from Capiz died of a motorcycle accident on her way home, while another 20-year-old student from Masbate climbed a mountain ; both were searching for a signal just to submit their academic requirements. In Japan, the students clamor that the quality of classes dropped , making them feel meaningless through online education.

Why do we still romanticize underprivileged Filipino academic resilience and sacrifice the lives of the “hope of the future” — when there is still no nationwide mass testing — just to resume classes?

With a mental health pandemic and digital divide cutting deeper into our educational system, an “academic freeze” must be considered — at least, until and unless the curve has flattened and mass testing has been made and proven effective. At most, a vaccine against COVID-19 should be developed. This pertains to suspending classes or the succeeding academic years in all modes of learning: on-site, off-site, online, and offline.

The “off-site and online”

Imagine staying online for weeks, paying for the internet, and going to computer shops, all for the sake of compliance, while families are struggling and others have nothing to eat, thinking only how to survive every day.

Pushing through an “off-site and online” mode of learning will just further resurface the digital divide evident in our educational sphere. Not everyone has a stable internet connection and it would be hard or worse, impossible for some students to reach a signal.

Institutions equipped to implement this method, by providing gadgets and student allowances, would just increase institutional incompetence in resolving the problems with internet access (not to mention the proper gadgets) of students across the country, as it would leave students of most institutions behind due to incapacity to adopt such measures.

Obliging teachers to prepare for the next term is tantamount to overlooking their conditions as well. Cognitive skills may be enriched through online classes, but it would only leave the class to be teacher-centered while emotive and motor skills may be undermined, as there is no hands-on guidance, physical experimentation, and practical activities.

The “off-site and offline”

In the alternative “off-site and offline” mode, learning materials and requirements can be delivered both by mail. But this set-up will possibly require families to find a means to procure money for courier fees, among others, when they would rather allot it for their necessities — unless the school will handle the delivery fees.

This lack of empathy implies that our educational system is turning a blind eye to whom we should help and what we should focus on — the frontliners, the underprivileged, and flattening the curve. Instead of saving a community for the "hope of the society," it just impairs our mental health. Rather than prioritizing safety and security, it just reflects otherwise.

The “academic freeze”

It may not be the best solution, but an “academic freeze” can be adopted until the digital divide is fully resolved or results of mass testing and curve-flattening are already evaluated empirically. This will require a flexible academic term, calendar, and curricula to lessen the school days required, lower the number of course requirements, and reduce tuition and other fees usually projected for the use of school facilities.

An “academic freeze” can also be adopted through a “no vaccine, no classes” policy wherein all academic calendars and curricula need not to be adjusted, but will just have to suspend classes per academic year. If there is no vaccine yet as of 2020, it may be possible to suspend the Academic Year 2020 to 2021 and resume classes on the Academic Year 2021 to 2022 without adjusting the June to March and August to May academic calendars.

Leave no student behind

Economically affected, agencies, companies, and institutions, whether public or private, can encourage graduating students to apply for a job during the “academic freeze” to uplift local businesses, but they should be lenient in the submission of their academic requirements for employment.

Furthermore, a possible loan with no interest agreement, public-private partnership, or government-business coordination can incentivize school employees and contractual workers so they will still be motivated in sustaining and improving their morale and productivity to provide quality education, post-pandemic.

Early resumption of classes will just cause additional burden to families and guardians providing tuition and allowances as the transition to “new normal” lets all of us, most especially the indigents, prioritize basic necessities from square one.

“Academic freeze” will give the country time to have effective and efficient mass testing or mass vaccination; not only in the hands of one, but for a collective and responsive system to push through this pandemic.

As far as there are underprivileged students who are victims of a distorted system, an “academic freeze” is the most plausible option for students, teachers, and school administrators. It allows them to collaborate in helping our frontliners, assisting our local governments, and in helping the country recover from an economic recession by conducting inclusive socio-economic volunteer mobilization programs.

No student should be left behind. Education is a right, but crisis response speaks of valuing human lives.

Ervine Jules B. Sape is a second year student from Saint Louis University and taking up Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. He is advocating for inclusive political governance, students' rights, deliberative democracy, and universal diplomacy.

Bianca Mae R. Aquino is a second year student from University of the Philippines Baguio and taking up Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences, major in Anthropology and minor in Political Science. She is advocating for good political governance, proactive studentry, and civic participation.

Andrea Isahbel G. Olivar is a second year student from Saint Louis University and taking up Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. She is advocating for human rights protection, anti-discriminatory practices, and socio-political civic engagement.

Should we resort to academic freeze during the pandemic?

Posted by Greten on 07 Aug 2020 under Thoughts

Debates on many aspects of human lives are ongoing on how to best approach this Wuhan virus pandemic (COVID-19, SARS-COV-2); one of these aspects is education. If people should avoid mass gathering and avoid leaving their homes whenever possible, how are we going to implement education for the academic year 2020-2021 while the pandemic is ongoing.

South Korea opened schools in May just to close them again a few days later because of a spike in cases shortly after despite schools putting up barriers and implementing social distancing rules. Countries that reopened schools or continued operating schools during the pandemic observed increases in cases among the students and staff. Fortunately, children are less affected by the Wuhan virus; they are more likely to remain asymptomatic and less likely to get hospitalized. The real puzzle that remains a mystery is how they are likely to transmit it to elderly family members and those with underlying medical conditions.

Sometimes, I will browse Facebook and see memes, hashtags, and other things people share in their posts, and I came across what I will consider a nuclear option: academic freeze. There are students, parents, and other stakeholders in the education system that calls for a halt in primary and higher education.

What is academic freeze?

Academic freeze is the stop of all educational activity, including regular classroom and distance or online education, for a specific period. For example, the students who finished grade 3 last March 2020 will not enter grade 4 if DepEd freezes the academic year 2020-2021. They can only start grade 4 on the academic year 2021-2022, when they would have been grade 5 if there's no academic freeze.

Other suggested academic freeze is not one just school year, but until the vaccine for Wuhan virus is already invented.

I first encountered this call on academic freeze because I saw one of my acquaintances posting #academicfreeze , so I clicked the link and saw several other posts showing their support for academic freezing. I also tried searching if anyone is posting #notoacademicfreeze , and the result is yes, some people are opposed to it.

Reasons for academic freeze

You can find several reasons that people give in support of academic freeze. You can search #academicfreeze or #yestoacademicfreeze in Twitter and Facebook , and you will find a handful of people pushing for an academic freeze. The reasons provided has been expressed in different ways; the general ideas are usually the following:

• No child left behind : Not everyone can afford the technology needed for elearning. Some parents cannot guide their children to work on learning modules (either they are too busy making ends meet or didn't reach the educational level their children are currently taking). Thus, the proponents' solution is it's better to have an academic freeze than have some children advance in grade level and others left behind.
• Distance education does not work : Online education and printed learning modules are no substitute to the traditional classroom. The classroom is not just a lecturer standing in front of learners; they also facilitate activities that aid in the acquisition of knowledge and develop their motor and social skills. Distance education may relay knowledge and processes, but it cannot develop motor and social skills.

Together with these reasons, the academic freeze's proponents have different ideas on when the academic freeze can be lifted.

• Academic freeze for one year . Better to delay a child's education for just one year rather than put them at risk of getting infected with the Wuhan virus.
• Until a vaccine is available : The academic freeze must remain until a vaccine for Wuhan virus is discovered and becomes available to the public.

Reasons not to academic freeze

• Teachers will lose their jobs : During this time of the pandemic, several businesses closed and consequently, people lose their jobs. Some lose their jobs due to government regulations, for example, bus and jeepney drivers cannot ferry passengers due to quarantine. We need to not add teachers among those who are jobless for at least a year.
• Distance education works : Distance education modalities like printed modules and online education may not be the same as traditional classrooms, but they work. The pandemic should not stop anyone from learning, and to keep ourselves safe while also learning, distance education is the best option that we can use. Also, some students prefer online education over the traditional classroom.
• I'm graduating in a year : There are college students who are due to graduate within a year. Some of them are graduating to take jobs that are much needed during the pandemic, such as nurses, medical technicians, computer engineers, and data scientists. If there is an academic freeze, we are halting students who are due to graduate, and we deny our society the workforce it needs during this crisis.

My take: let education continue

After weighing both sides, my conclusion is to say NO to academic freeze. While those who are pushing for academic freeze have valid points and good intentions, they are insufficient reason to stop education. During this pandemic, we need to stay safe, but otherwise, we should strive to continue living with some alterations. If your employer allows you to work from home, why resign from your work? If the groceries are open, and you can continue buying under strict social distancing protocol, why starve yourself? Resorting to academic freeze when there are methods available to continue education despite the pandemic is tantamount to resigning and starving when you don't have to.

Those arguing for no child left behind are blinded by the idealistic sense of equality that created communism. Education has never been equal even without the pandemic. There are schools with better libraries, better laboratories, and better classrooms. Are we suppose to forbid these schools from having these advantages? Public schools conduct their classes under the tree or in an open area during calamities because their classrooms are used as evacuation centers. Should we force private schools to conduct classes in the same manner? The pandemic did not create inequality; it only altered the inequality that already exists.

The idea that distance education is not as effective as traditional classroom education is not entirely true. It can be better for subjects that require the acquisition of knowledge and skills through self-practice, such as science and mathematics. It can also depend on the student; some are comfortable watching videos to see how something (say a mathematical process) is done, while some are more comfortable having a teacher show it to them. However, in these times of pandemic, we may not have what's best for everyone, but we need to do with what we have. Distance education might not teach our children to navigate playground politics or social skills, but who knows: such dynamics might still be present among classmates in Zoom or Teams. Distance education allows our children to continue learning while keeping them safe from the Wuhan virus, so let's use it.

Those pushing for academic freeze for a year since it's just a year, the solution is not to enroll your children—or yourself if you're already in college—for a year. After all, it's just a year. Why stop everyone else?

Using the vaccine as the parameter to decide whether to reopen the classes or not is downright unrealistic. While many pharmaceutical companies are now researching and developing vaccines for the Wuhan virus, do not assume that a vaccine will be available until they are tested and shown to work without adverse side effects. HIV was first reported in 1981, and until now, it has no vaccine. What if a vaccine is never developed? Are we going to stop all schooling and send the human civilization back to the Middle Ages?

There is nothing for me to add except to nod in agreement, that we cannot afford to have teachers lose their jobs. Also, those who are about to enter the workforce for much-needed jobs during the pandemic should not be delayed.

A compromise solution: universal accelerated examination

With or without the pandemic, there's always inequality among the students: inequality of opportunity and inequality of the quality of education. However, our society tries to reduce inequality by providing educational opportunities to the poor but deserving students. How do we determine who is deserving? Using examinations, of course: government agencies such as DepEd and DOST, as well as various private foundations, provide scholarships to those who can pass the scholarship exam they administer.

The same solution can apply to students during the pandemic. Those who are enrolled this academic year can course through their current grade level, obtain a passing grade, and go to the next grade level. For those who cannot enroll for various reasons, they may still try to educate themselves at their own pace using any resources they can muster. When the pandemic is over, and the schools can resume their regular operation, those who missed a grade level can take an accelerated exam to determine their eligibility to enroll to the next level.

For example, now is the academic year 2020-2021, and there is a pandemic. A student is supposed to be grade 3 but didn't enroll because he lives in a far-flung village with no internet access, and he cannot use printed learning modules either because his parents finished only grade 2 and, thus, cannot help him study. However, he did his best to study grade 3 materials by burrowing printed modules from his friends. Suppose the pandemic is over before the start of the academic year 2021-2022, there must be an exam that can determine if he is eligible to enroll in grade 4 instead of grade 3. If he passed the exam, he could jump to grade 4. Otherwise, he will enroll in grade 3.

Should we have an academic freeze? Please share your thoughts in the comment section.

Bibliography:

• Couzin-Frankel J. et al (2020) " School openings across globe suggest ways to keep coronavirus at bay, despite outbreaks ", Science , retrieved 6 August 2020
• Strauss V. (2020) " South Korea closes schools again amid coronavirus spike, days after reopening ", The Washington Post , retrieved 6 August 2020

Last updated on 07 Aug 2020.

Learn from others

I have read your article and I must say that it is very comprehensive and enlightening. Although I just read it today, still your claim tackles issues up until now. That’s why I wanted to raise this concern regarding the students who killed themselves because of their experiences in modular classes. It was all over the internet and in the news. Many students have said that this school year is worsening their mental health condition, adding stress and anxiety in this pandemic. My question is, what can you say about these incidents? Do you still consider Online/Modular Classes as an effective and better solution in this new normal? Why and why not?

I would appreciate it if you answer my questions as I am in need of opinions regarding this matter. Thank you very much.

Hello Annie Mae,

I do not know the thought process of these students who committed suicide, but the news are saying they are connected to frustrations over internet connections and buying cellphone loads. To be honest, I cannot imagine why students would do that unless it merely intensifies existing mental health issues that some people are already experiencing due to quarantine.

Please note that I never said students should push through with continuing going to school. Not enrolling this school year is a legitimate option. What I am against is the academic freeze across the board.

Online learning and correspondence education (what DepEd call “modular” is better for some students, and not for others. It is really a matter of appreciating innovative and independent ways of learning vs using what is proven to work. However, given the pandemic, online and modular classes provide a balance between allowing students to learn and keeping them safe from the virus.

Very well said. I especially agree on the ideology that “no one should be left behind” isn’t justifiable because there has been already an inequality between people who can afford to study and the people who cannot, even before the pandemic. It’s unfortunate, but it is the sad reality. Although education is still attainable for everyone, it’s not reasonable for those who have the capacity to continue studying to stop just because the others cannot.

Hello Wilburthe Indeed, if we want equality, we uplift those who are at disadvantage, We do not pull down those with advantage; doing so is a punishment and we don’t want to punish anyone unless they did something wrong. Those who are pushing for academic freeze wants to pull down those with advantage. . I wrote this months ago and some of my points are no longer valid. In particular, vaccines are already available and are being administered. Now, this might reawaken those calls for academic freeze since they can now have a time table as to when the academic freeze can stop. However, my stand remains. No to academic freeze. If it’s still not safe for our children to go out, then we can have another year of distance/online education. However, those who have to stop going to schools should be given a chance to take acceleration exams when the regular school operations return.

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