THE ALLIANCE of Concerned Teachers pressed the government to provide gadgets and internet support to poor learners for their distance learning needs.

The group said that 20 percent of the poorest learners should be given gadgets and internet allowance.

Data from the Department of Education showed that 28,2219,623 learners have enrolled for School Year 2021–2022.

“The increase in number of enrollees this school year despite the continuing health and economic crisis and challenging distance learning set-up only proves our youth’s desire to learn and go back to school. The government should fulfill its responsibility to support our learners and ensure that no one gets left behind,” Raymond Basilio, the group’s secretary general, said.

The group lamented that DepEd only received a meager budget increase for 2022 — 5.9 percent or P32.8 billion with hardly any provision for the immediate needs of distance learning.

It said that there were major cuts in vital programs like basic education facilities, flexible learning options, and Indigenous People’s Education Program, while there was no provision for student aid.

In a survey ACT held just before the school year opened, it was revealed that, for this school year, only about 40 percent of NCR student respondents and 10 percent from other regions will be provided with gadget support, while only 4 percent and 5 percent respectively said that they will receive support for internet connectivity costs.

“We’ve already witnessed how millions of our learners had to suffer the consequences of the government’s negligence and incompetence. DepEd’s fiscal irresponsibility also delayed, if not totally resulted in the denial of, the already paltry P300-million student aid allocation in the Bayanihan 2. There should be no more excuses from the government as there are enough data from the ground to help us address the problems of distance learning.” Basilio said.

The Quezon City Public School Teachers Association and ACT NCR said handed out school supplies and food packs through their community pantry to help Grades 1 to 4 learners in need as they started another school year of distance learning.

“Since this nightmare of a pandemic hit our country early last year, our students were never given ample aid by the national government. It has always been us—teachers, parents, and other concerned and equally struggling fellow Filipinos—who stepped up and found ways to try and fulfill the needs of the education sector. Walang kaparis ang kapabayaan ng gobyernong ito sa amin,” Kris Navales, QCPSTA President, said.