MANILA— Majority of students believe they "learned less" under the remote learning setup, showed a survey released Thursday by a broad network of education experts and stakeholders.

The online survey by the Movement for Safe, Equitable, Quality and Relevant Education (SEQuRE) was conducted from June 25 to July 2. Its respondents include 1,278 teachers, 1,299 Grades 4 to 12 students, and 3,172 parents who largely came from the National Capital Region.

The survey found that 86.7 percent of students under modular learning, 66 percent under online learning and 74 percent under blended learning (a mix of modalities) said they learned less under the alternative modes of instruction as compared with the traditional face-to-face setup before the pandemic.

Only 5.4 percent of students under blended learning, 5.7 percent under modular learning and 9.1 percent under online learning said they "learned more."

Around 24.8 percent of students under online learning, 20.7 percent under blended learning and 7.6 percent under modular learning believe they learned "about as much as before the pandemic," the survey found.

The survey also found that 72.7 percent of online learners experienced missing a class because of problems with their devices or the internet while 73.3 percent of modular learners failed to submit their modules on time.

Parents confirmed the dwindling participation and performance of their students as 60 percent of them said their children missed an online class or failed to submit academic requirements on time.

Fifty-two percent of teachers noted that 4 to 6 in every 10 students lagged behind with their students, according to the survey.

This picture is "grimmer," SEQuRE said in a statement, compared to the results of its December 2020 survey, wherein the largest portion of teacher-respondents said 1 to 3 in every 10 of their students could not keep pace with their lessons.

• Survey: Majority of teachers doubt if distance learning effective

Thirty-four percent of teachers said 1 to 3 in every 10 students lagged behind their studies while 13 percent said 7 or more students were unable to keep up, based on the latest survey.

Asked why they were absent in online classes or failed to submit their modules, students said the requirements were too many while they were given too little time to accomplish them.

Students also found it hard to balance their classes with household duties, and to understand the modules on their own. Others experienced problems with internet signal and connectivity expenses.

Nearly half of students (44 to 46 percent) also said remote learning had a negative effect on their physical health, according to the survey. This meant they had a weaker body, and experienced frequent headaches, eye problems, and weight loss or gain.

This is due to the lack of physical exercise, long hours of screen time, inadequate sleep due to academic activities, and irregular meals, according to the survey.

About 36 to 41 percent of students, meanwhile, said the remote learning setup had a negative effect on their mental health. This includes experiencing mental and emotional stress, anxiety, depression and panic attacks.

ANOTHER YEAR OF REMOTE LEARNING

The survey showed that 40 percent of students do not want distance learning to continue for the next school year, while 21 percent say otherwise. Thirty-nine percent are undecided.

Remote learning had to be enforced as physical classes were banned due to the COVID-19 threat.

It's a different case with parents as 41 percent of them want the next school year to be conducted through remote means, "primarily due to the persisting pandemic situation."

Only 23 percent of parents reject remote learning for the next school year while 36 percent are undecided.

Despite this, a majority of students and parents say they are "well prepared" should remote learning continue next year.

Meanwhile, more than half or 62 percent of teachers recommend the re-implementation of distance learning, also because of the pandemic.

This, despite an overwhelming 85 percent of teachers saying their workload was heavier under the remote learning setup, the survey showed.

Thirty percent of teachers do not want distance learning for next year while 8 percent are undecided.

Less than half of teachers gave the Department of Education (DepEd) (42.3 percent) and the Duterte government (44.4 percent) a "passing" grade on their responses to remote learning.

Only 21 percent of teachers gave a failing grade to the DepEd while 19.8 failed the administration.

Around 36.6 percent and 35.7 percent of teachers gave the DepEd and Duterte government an "incomplete" mark, respectively.

Those who gave an incomplete mark argued that the distance learning program was haphazardly planned and not well-planned, and complained of insufficient funding and appropriate training for teachers, among others.

School Year 2020 to 2021 ended last July 10, with a DepEd official giving an "8 out of 10" rating on the implementation of distance learning.

• As school year ends, learning under distance education questioned

The DepEd has yet to announce the first day of classes in public schools for School Year 2021 to 2022. Private schools, on the other hand, have been allowed to start classes as long as they implement pure distance learning.

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