SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian batted for television-based instruction in teaching difficult and complicated subjects, saying it should complement the use of printed self-learning modules in distance learning.

Gatchalian said there are lessons that  need to be taught step by step and videos would help learners understand their lessons better.

The lawmaker added that television has a wider reach than the Internet. Data firm Dataxis revealed that in 2019, 18.7 million households in the Philippines had their own TV sets. In August this year, the Department of Education found that around 6.3 million households had no internet access.

“I looked at some of the modules. Some of the subjects are very complicated, like geometry or trigonometry. I see a lot of computations. It’s very difficult for an ordinary student to pick it up right away. This is where the TV and radio modalities would come in. TV, in this particular case, would play a very big role,” said Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture.

As part of distance learning, the Education department launched DepEd TV, which airs K to 12 subjects from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Saturday. Lessons are also being aired on state-run IBC-13, PTV-4 and other channels that partnered with the agency.

Gatchalian also urged local government units to partner with local radio and television stations, which can air lessons.

He also asked telecommunication companies to ensure the stability of internet connectivity to avoid online learning woes. He cited the case of the Valenzuela Live Online Streaming School, which utilizes Facebook Live to broadcast lessons. Officials expected as many as 10,000 students to watch aired lessons, but some 3,000 students were not able to watch because of poor internet connection.