Policy Brief on Youth: Access to Education to lessen the number of Out-of-School Youth

(OSY) during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Even before the start of the pandemic, globally there were already 258 million school-age
children and adolescents not attending school, according to UNESCO (United Nations
Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation)i. With the start of the pandemic, it is estimated
that more than 27.7 million Filipino children and youth are at significant risk of learning loss and
disruptionii. There are no specific statistics on the number of Bangsamoro youth whose learning
have been impacted by the pandemic, however the COVID-19 pandemic has been a catalyst
which has exacerbated difficulties and inequalities in the region. Sorayda, an IDP of the Marawi
siege struggles to send her 11 children to school. Although all her children have been doing well,
the lack of access to television and internet has disrupted their learning,iii

The Department of Education (DepEd) has developed learning delivery modalities for school
year 2020-2021.iv Similarly, the Bangsamoro Government through the Ministry of Basic, Higher,
and Technical Education (MBHTE) developed guidelines for Education Continuity Plan for SY
2020-2021v. Many other International Non-Governmental Organizations such as the UNvi,
UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund)vii, UNDP (United Nations Development
Programme)viii, Save the Childrenix, and USAIDx, among others, have pledged support in the
form of funding and partnership in order to help the Bangsamoro Youth who may be struggling
in their education due to the risk of the pandemic. With DepEd announcing the re-opening of
schools on August 24, there were fears from the parents of sending the children back to school
amidst the continuing pandemic. Some parents may choose to no longer enroll their children, and
this will have effects on their foreseeable future. With the opening of schools pushed back to
October 5xi, this will allow the Bangsamoro Government more time to finalize and put their
measures into place.

There is a need to balance safety with ensuring that the youth of the Bangsamoro can still learn
under the MBHTE Education Continuity Plan, even without internet access. Thus, the following
recommendations are given: (1) Following Resolution No. 260 filed in the BTA, the Chief
Minister and MBHTE is requested to make an assessment report on the implementation of the
Education Continuity Plan to see where there are gaps and to ensure that there are measures put
into place to reach Youth without internet access; (2) It is recommended that distance and
asynchronous learning be focused on. This can be done by the MBHTE ensuring that all Basic,
Madaris, Higher, and Technical Education institutions have measures by which students can just
do a one-time download of all course materials through their institutions or have access to
printed materials of their modules; (3) An information awareness and psycho-social campaign
targeting parents and youth by the MBHTE as well as the BYC (Bangsamoro Youth
Commission) is necessary to assuage the parent’s concerns that they need not to stop sending
their children to school and to relay the efforts of the Bangsamoro Government on what is
currently being done, as well as to deal with the psycho-social concerns of the youth with respect
to their education; (4) It is also recommended that enrolment processes be streamlined and that
the MBHTE find measures to implement remote enrolment taking into consideration the
concerns of youth who have difficulty or were unable to enroll; (5) It is also recommended that
the Bangsamoro Government look into the potential for Alternative Learning Systems (ALS) and
create an ALS Plan which may be implemented during the pandemic. There is potential in
training parents to become homeschool teachers to their children to fill in any possible gaps in
their education that they may face due to structural limitations. In this way, parents and educators
can work hand-in-hand to ensure that youth are able to maximize their learning experience even
during the pandemic.
i
References:

Out-of-School Children and Youth. (2020, January 16). Retrieved August 24, 2020, from http://uis.unesco.org/en/topic/out-
school-children-and-youth

ii
U.S. Embassy Manila | 18 June, 2. (2020, June 17). U.S. Provides Php126 Million to Support Filipino Children's
Education During Pandemic. Retrieved August 24, 2020, from https://ph.usembassy.gov/us-provides-php126-
million-to-support-filipino-childrens-education-during-pandemic/

iii
Save the Children Philippines supports health, learning needs of children in conflict-affected Mindanao amid
COVID-19 pandemic - Philippines. (n.d.). Retrieved August 24, 2020, from
https://reliefweb.int/report/philippines/save-children-philippines-supports-health-learning-needs-children-conflict

iv
Llego, M. (2020, June 14). DepEd Learning Delivery Modalities for School Year 2020-2021. Retrieved August 24,
2020, from https://www.teacherph.com/deped-learning-delivery-modalities/

v
Ibid.

vi
Bangsamoro.gov.ph. (2020, August 13). BARMM signs social protection program partnership with UN. Retrieved
August 24, 2020, from https://bangsamoro.gov.ph/news/latest-news/barmm-signs-social-protection-program-
partnership-with-un/

vii
How UNICEF is helping Bangsamoro children and their families during the COVID-19 pandemic. (2020, May 29).
Retrieved August 24, 2020, from https://www.unicef.org/philippines/stories/how-unicef-helping-bangsamoro-
children-and-their-families-during-covid-19-pandemic

viii
UNDP. (2020, May 25). Bangsamoro Youth boosts community education and engagement on COVID-19: UNDP in
Philippines. Retrieved August 24, 2020, from
https://www.ph.undp.org/content/philippines/en/home/presscenter/pressreleases/202-/bangsamoro-youth-boosts-
community-education-and-engagement-on-co.html

ix
Save the Children Philippines supports health, learning needs of children in conflict-affected Mindanao amid
COVID-19 pandemic - Philippines. (n.d.). Retrieved August 24, 2020, from
https://reliefweb.int/report/philippines/save-children-philippines-supports-health-learning-needs-children-conflict

x
U.S. Provides PHP126 Million to Support Filipino Children's Education During Pandemic - Philippines. (n.d.).
Retrieved August 24, 2020, from https://reliefweb.int/report/philippines/us-provides-php126-million-support-
filipino-children-s-education-during-pandemic

xi
Aguilar, K. (2020, August 14). DepEd moves opening of classes to October 5. Retrieved August 24, 2020, from
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1321659/deped-opening-of-classes-in-public-schools-moved-to-october-5