The onset of covid-19 pandemic had triggered panic worldwide. It had brought serious challenges to all sectors and generally affecting economic growth. All offices both private and public and business establishments were directed to implement strict confinement measures to contain the spread of the virus and safeguarding the health of everyone.
In the context of our school Naddungan Elementary School, the result of the Learners Enrolment Survey Form (LESF) showed that Modular Distance Learning is the preferred learning modality to be used. However, based from the school enrolment, only 213 or 82% out of 261 learners have mobile phones while 48 or 18% do not have mobile phones. These learners who do not have mobile phones were identified to be Agtas, IPs and 4Ps recipients who lack financial resource to buy the gadget to support instruction. In addition, based on the distance and geographical location, these families are residing 3 kilometers away from the school wherein internet connectivity is poor, hence, teachers’ instructional support and monitoring is also limited. These are the challenges and urgent educational need in this time of pandemic that require immediate attention, if not, many of the learners will be left behind. This may eventually result to low academic performance of the school.
To address the presented situation and ensuring that no learner is left behind, Mrs. Roshalie B. Luis conceived the Project ReAL or Reaching the Agta Learners towards the Achievement of Improved Learning Outcome in the Modular Distance Learning Modality. She asked assistance from private group Sun Life Incorporation to come up with twelve (12) cellphones to be given to the Agta learners. One cellphone was issued to every 3 pupils of the same grade. The teachers of Naddungan Elementary School contacted them in a scheduled date in a week to monitor the modules given to them. Updates in getting and retrieval of modules were made also.
This project fostered academic ease during the Covid -19 pandemic. It catered the struggling learners through the provision and used of mobile phones in every agkakarruba learning station, thus, achieving improved modular learning and academic performance was the result.