key: cord-0713112-jiq77qh6
authors: Rosales, Renniel Jayson Jacinto; Pagsuyoin, Juan Carlos C
title: Entering a new academic year: the problem faced in online learning amid COVID-19 pandemic
date: 2021-07-23
journal: J Public Health (Oxf)
DOI: 10.1093/pubmed/fdab299
sha: 79ca84257997ca83044a74beae35f89bd2dd18c7
doc_id: 713112
cord_uid: jiq77qh6

In the crisis, we are facing, the well-being of the students is given importance in their online learning. Attention has already been given as to how the school may support in making the parents mentally healthy as they assist their children in learning. The Philippines is already entering another online academic school year as part of the health and safety protocol during this pandemic. But with all the challenges experienced by the stakeholders, the education sector is also facing a problem as to the well-being of the teachers who are also struggling in this pandemic with all the changes in their routines since online learning began.

To the editor The COVID-19 pandemic outbreak has challenged the Philippine education system, both in the public and private sectors, across educational levels. This challenge significantly impacts the pedagogy employed by the teachers and the learning capacity applied by the students. This correspondence attempts to give a local background to the struggles faced by teachers in relation to recent letters to the editor where the psychosocial needs of the students and parents are being considered. Carreon and Manansala 1 have mentioned in their correspondence that the safety and welfare of the students must be the priority of the schools, especially students' mental health. It was also added by Macaraan 2 that parents must also be taken care of since they are also journeying with the online learning of their children at home.

In Batangas Province, the Philippines, the academic year 2019-2020 has experienced two educational interruptionsthe eruption of Taal Volcano in January 2020 and the start of the Luzon-wide community quarantine in March 2020. To suffice the cancelation of classes, private schools at the secondary level have used different means to complete the academic year. Strict implementation of health protocols continued as the academic year 2020-2021 began. There was a little hope that by the middle of the school year, students may be back at school grounds again-but this is to no avail. The year ended and we are now entering the second academic school year 2021-2022, which will be held online again. The students' safety is being secured by making the next school year in full distance learning, whether online, blended or modular modalities.

For the past years, teachers have shown their passion by fitting to the 21st-century pedagogy. In this time of the pandemic, teachers are rechallenged by the circumstance to fit in and do their best to give quality education to students. After experiencing a whole year of online teaching, teachers have learned a lot of lessons. Now, they are not just teachers and advisers; they are also counselors, IT practitioners and content creators of video materials for their students. Rumors spread that the teachers will do less since online learning will be done. The truth is teachers have to do more and exert effort for the academic, emotional and mental welfare of the students. Learning information and communications technology (ICT) is just one of the adjustments teachers have to make for their students. The work-at-home setup seems to be a problematic ambiance for teachers-having no demarcation line between school and home schedule and works.

It is crucial now to give importance to the well-being of the teachers for they, too, suffer a lot in this time of pandemic. We will face another online academic school year. We might be equipped with all the experiences we have gained in the past online academic year but even with a more prepared body, can the holistic well-being of the teachers continue? At least, their mental and spiritual well-being will not be left behind because it will help them push through despite the hardships they are facing. 3 Teachers are social beings and are trained and educated to teach face-to-face. With this drastic change due to COVID-19, we might want to ask, "Is my teacher, still, okay?"

Addressing the psychosocial needs of students attending online classes during this Covid-19 pandemic

No funding was received for this paper. The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.