NILINAW ni Education Secretary Leonor Briones na isa lamang ang online learning sa learning delivery modalities na iniaalok ng kanyang ahensiya at malayang pumili ang mga magulang at mga mag-aaral kung blended learning o online learning ang kanilang gagamitin.

Ayon kay Briones, hindi matatawag na blended learning kung ito ay online lang.

“I think we have to repeat again and again and again and again that online is not blended learning, hindi iyan blended kung online lang. When there are problems or issues, kasi right now we are associating the opening of the school year. The academic program at this time with online learning exclusively, it’s not like that naman. And we have endeavored to emphasize na if certain aspects of online learning does not work, walang connectivity, may problema etc., There are other parts which can be blended. There are other approaches which can be blended with online learning, and this is what we are doing right now in the public schools,” pahayag ng Kalihim.

“I would like to appeal to the media and our partners to emphasize again and again that when we say that we are opening classes on October 5, it is not exclusive online,” dagdag pa niya.

Binigyang-diin niya na hindi lamang online education ang kasagutan sa learning continuity ngayong panahon ng pandemya.

“Hindi umiikot ang blended learning at ‘ang ating learning continuity at this time, around online exclusively. Kasi, ano kaagad ang mindset ng parents, ang mindset ng teachers etc., is to react because they use their online toys and gadgets for other things. At hindi pa nila completely na-associate with the learning process or learning delivery. ‘Yun nga ang sinabi ko na a journey has to be made. So, perhaps itong mga schools na ito have to make adjustments. And perhaps, this explains why there’s also an increasing number of schools, the very small schools who have declared that they will not open classes at this time. It’s because they cannot comply with the requirements for gadgets, for laboratories etc., for communications facilities, hindi sila ready for that. Sa public schools naman, we already considered that because we know what is the situation and this is where information really helps,” paliwanag ng kalihim.

Ayon pa kay Briones, hindi pa siya ipinanganganak, 1940s pa, ay mayroon nang blended at distance learning.

“I really love to repeat that world wars were won not by the kind of communication systems we have, radio naman noong panahon na ‘yon, so, sana magtulungan tayo. There are other methods, and how we blend them, that is the exciting part of it. And, this is why each region is different from any other region. Each school is different from any other school,” sabi pa ni Briones.