KABATAAN Partylist Rep. Sarah Jane Elago urged the House of Representatives to conduct an inquiry on alleged academic-related accidents and suicides of students because of the implementation of flexible learning by the Commission on Higher Education and Department of Education.

In her House Resolution 2343, Elago said that there were students who killed themselves because of the stress brought by dealing with learning modules.

“One death is too many and constant rise of suicide rates is something that the government needs to pay attention to, especially that there are also online classes-related accidents since the pandemic,” Elago said.

She added that though no one willed these suicides and accidents to happen, these underscore the need for an educational system that is compassionate and sensitive to the plight of students and families amid the Covid19 pandemic.

“The failed and anti-poor flexible learning scam has only worsened the existing colonial, commercialized, and anti-democrative education system, boiling into an unprecedented education and mental health crisis as schools remain closed,” she said.

Also in her resolution, Elago called on the House of Representatives to fully support the safe reopening of campuses.

Elago stressed that there is a need to assess the implementation of flexible mode of learning vis-a-vis the heavy requirement it imposes on students and the effects of these requirements on students’ mental health.