MAKE UP classes will not resolve the impacts of Covid19 to education and will only worsen it, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers said.

“With or without make-up classes or class extensions, learning loss will continue for no bigger reason than state abandonment amidst one of the worst health and socio-economic crises,” ACT Secretary General Raymond Basilio said.

The group called for “concrete actions and exit plan to the surge and school closure cycle.”

“We’ve been in this cycle of surges for more than two years now—each surge being worse than the previous one. Despite this, teachers and students have strived especially hard for education to continue. We cannot be trapped in this cycle anymore,” Basilio said.

“Recently, it has been our very own health that has been at stake, thus the need for a health break. We need a clear exit plan and concrete actions from the government,” Basilio added.

ACT also reminded the Department of Education how teachers were forced to shoulder the costs and extra work demanded by remote learning which caused  strain not only to their physical but also mental health.

“Education has been at the losing end of government incompetence. Throughout this pandemic, we have been left to fend for ourselves,” he said.