SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian stressed that aside from the need to hasten learning recovery following the disruptions caused by the Covid19 pandemic, learners’ continued access to safety nets adds urgency to the safe reopening of schools.

The lawmaker explained over the weekend that other than providing education, schools also offer different programs to support vulnerable learners.

For some learners, the school-based feeding program is their only source of nutritious meals in a day.

Schools also have healthcare programs such as immunization and deworming, while learners at risk of violence and abuse —  which is already on the rise amidst the pandemic — can access child protection programs.

Social interaction in the school setting would also benefit the mental well-being of learners, many of whom remain confined to their homes since the lockdowns.

“By allowing the resumption of limited face-to-face classes, learners can receive better guidance from their teachers,” Gatchalian reiterated.

“Maliban sa pagbibigay ng edukasyon, ang mga paaralan ay may mga programa rin para sa kalusugan, proteksiyon, at kapakanan ng ating mga mag-aaral na maaari lamang maibigay sa kanila kapag nagkaroon na ng face-to-face classes. Higit na mahalaga ang pagtugon sa mga programang ito ngayong panahon ng pandemya,” added the senator.

The chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture reiterated how studies made by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Northern Ireland’s Public Health Agency, and the University of Warwick in England show that schools do not appear to play a big role in spreading coronavirus as long as measures like physical distancing, wearing of masks, regular handwashing and disinfection are observed.

Experts from the CDC and PHA pointed out that kids are more likely to acquire infections in communities than in schools, while researchers from the University of Warwick found out the absences incurred by teachers and pupils matched infection rates in the wider community, with no evidence that schools were a major driver of cases.

Gatchalian emphasized the reopening of schools should start in low-risk areas.

As of February 9, about 433 municipalities have zero active cases of the coronavirus, based on the map of the University of the Philippines’ Covid19 tracker.