MANILA - A lack of modules and data allowance remains a problem for some teachers as the country's new school year begins Monday.

• Smooth school opening expected as PH enters second year of distance learning

Benjo Basas, chairperson of Teachers' Dignity Coalition, said some teachers had to print modules that they need to conduct classes.

"Parang halos walang pinagbago kasi nung October 2020. Nakita naman natin ang problema sa modules na up to now problema pa rin," he said in an TeleRadyo interview.

(It's like almost nothing changed because in October 2020 we saw problems in modules and these remained up to now.)

"Marami sa'ming nagrereport na wala pa rin silang modules to think na pasukan na ngayong araw. Yung mga teacher pa rin natin ang gumagawa. Tuloy-tuloy ang printing sa respective houses ng ating mga guro."

(Many have reported to us that they still don't have modules, to think it's the opening of classes. Teachers are still on it. Printing is ongoing in the respective houses of our teachers.)

Government must also provide data allowance and laptops for teachers, according to Basas.

The Department of Education had given out data allowance last year by providing SIM cards but most teachers have already availed of prepaid and postpaid plans, he said.

It also provided 40,000 laptops to teachers but the number is still quite small for nearly 1 million teaching personnel, he added.

"Yung laptop dapat hindi ito binibili mula sa sariling bulsa ng mga guro at lalong dapat di ito pinapautang kasi the GSIS suffered din for laptop loans," Basas said.

(Laptops should not come out of our teachers' pockets and it should not be given through a loan because the GSIS also suffered for laptop loans.)

Distance learning is implemented as the Philippines is one of the few remaining countries that have yet to resume in-person classes due to the pandemic.

Latest data from the Department of Education (DepEd) showed that nearly 22 million registered in basic education — including both public and private schools — this year, equivalent to only 83.6 percent of the 26.2 million students from the previous academic year, which saw around a million learners miss school.

--With a report from Jaehwa Bernardo, ABS-CBN News

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