URGENT HUMANITARIAN APPEAL to Schools and Higher Education Institutions in Bangsamoro region in times of COVID-2019 Threat.
It has come to our attention that there are schools and higher education institutions in Bangsamoro Region that requires its students to undergo online schooling and courses during lockdown and enhanced community quarantine.
In this connection, we would like to request that the said online requirements be reconsidered and suspended by schools and higher education institutions while the lockdown is in place in Bangsamoro region. For the following reasons:
- The students in Bangsamoro areas do not have adequate access to internet connections in their homes, necessitating them to go out and seek an internet connection elsewhere exposing them to COVID-2019.
- BARMM areas being one of the poorest of the regions do not have enough computers and internet connectivity like those in NCR or other Metropolitan areas.
- It is discriminatory for our students in Bangsamoro to be made to suffer anxiety in attending online classes while they are prohibited to go out their homes as most of our students in BARMM do not have access to WIFI Connectivity.
- With Proclamation 929 by President Duterte Declaring Nationwide State of Calamity effectively also suspends classes in the Philippines. Therefore online courses are questionable and maybe putting our students at risk of contracting COVID-2019 when they are forced to go out their homes to seek internet connections.
- Under CHED Memorandum Order No. 19 (Effect of State of Calamity) Class Suspensions on Tertiary Levels are suspended. Teaching and non-teaching personnel shall not report for work. Hence, no teachers must be allowed to teach or give assignments during this lockdown.
Thus, we appeal to all Schools (Basic Education) and Higher
Education to refrain and stop giving online assignments to students enrolled inside the Bangsamoro region to protect the lives and health of our students against COVID-2019.
