CONTEXTUALIZING learning modalities, addressing mental health and equipping teachers are vital in improving the “new normal” system of educating students, education experts from the Visayas region said.

In a virtual forum organized by the Department of Science and Technology’s National Academy of Science and Technology, educators shared their insights on how to improve the “new normal” system of educating students from Science high schools amid the Covid19 pandemic.

Dr. Cristito Eco, assistant director of the Department of Education’s Region VII Office, commended the use of cellphones, online tutorials and digital simulations to extend support to learners and their guardians remotely.

However, he noted that the limited availability of digital resources is the reason behind “losses” in mathematics and language learning.

“If the learner is coming from an urban or a rural place, then the distance learning modality must be contextualized,” he said.

Dr. Shena Faith Ganela, director of the Philippine Science High School’s Western Visayas Campus, said that the role of educators, even psychiatrists, in monitoring students who are pressured to study at home is often overlooked.

“As we try to overcome challenges under the new normal, we have to make sure that our mental health program is in place,” she urged.

Aside from “re-tooling” activities to equip teachers, Dr. Shalom Grace Sugano, principal of Visayas State University Integrated High School, favored DepEd’s academic ease policy as it reduces teachers’ burden in finishing lesson modules on time.

“In order for online learning to flourish, establishing a faster and stable internet connection all over the country is very important and should be considered,” she advised.

This year’s Scientific Meeting held on April 14 tackled the country’s preparedness in dealing with the current and possibly future pandemic.