Written by: Julie Rhee
Visual by: Zoe Lapada
The coronavirus outbreak has undoubtedly changed the education system in the past couple of months. With some schools closing down completely and some transitioning to an online platform, education has once again become something only for the privileged, putting a spotlight on the educational and income inequalities present all over the world, including the Philippines.
In the Philippines where over a quarter of the massive population, approaching a hundred million people, are impoverished, educational inequality has been a big problem. Despite this, thanks to government funding and help from various non-government organizations, many students in the Philippines have since gained access to education during the Coronavirus lockdowns. The Philippines has one of the largest income gaps in the world, with the minimum wage being only five to ten dollars a day, depending on the region, and ninety percent of all Filipinos having a net worth of less than ten thousand dollars, while the top 0.1% have fortunes amounting to over a million dollars. This issue, which has been present in the Philippines during the last few decades, has been further highlighted in recent months, with the Coronavirus outbreak.
The virus does not discriminate and affects everyone, however, it is undeniable that some people (higher income people) have better access to hygiene, better access to masks, the means to buy alcohol sanitizers, and more . This contributes to privileged people being less affected by the virus, in addition to them being able to afford the cost to cure themselves. Many students, aside from those who were not able to attend classes due to their school shutting down or not having a personal device to attend school on, have been dropping out of school solely because of the direct impact of having a virus outbreak– the virus itself.
There have always been large gaps in the education system between the privileged and the underprivileged. For example, there were and still are differences in the learning opportunities that students have outside of school– during vacations and weekends– where the students, if needed could learn by coming to an academy, studying with a tutor, etc. while the disadvantaged students do not have those opportunities. Students come from all different backgrounds, all with different circumstances and situations. They have access to different resources, opportunities, and support. Some parents are able to help teach their kids due to their academic background and knowledge, while some do not even have the time nor understanding themself to do so. It is inevitable that the economically-challenged students will face the greatest obstacles and disadvantages during this period regarding learning, even greater than what they have faced before the outbreak. Even before the pandemic, having access to technology gave great advantage to all students– because it is pivotal for them, as the twenty-first century revolves around technology. While a lack of modern technology arguably has not prevented students from physically going to school in the past, now due to new law implementations regarding school districts, that is no longer the case.
Communities and/or the government will have to adapt better to the changes brought about by the outbreak and address the issues concerning education sooner or later, to level the playing field between students of different socioeconomic backgrounds to prevent a larger educational gap from forming. As the coronavirus remains a threat, governments should strive to come up with a new paradigm for the education system, and take responsibility for increasing inequalities. The results of current efforts have been rather modest, and it is about time for a revolutionary change in the aforementioned system; a change which will promise all the lack of interference of income in student’s academic lives.
Excerpt: The coronavirus outbreak changed the education system, with some schools closing down completely and others transitioning to an online platform. Education has once again become something for the privileged, putting a spotlight on the educational and income inequalities present all over the world, including the Philippines. Written by: Julie R.; visual by: Zoe L.
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