2020
This is a Finalist in the Government Best Practice Recognition Awards
Title
Biñan Online Tutorials
Organization
Youth and Sports Development Office, City Government of Biñan, Laguna
Best practice Focus Area(s)
Strategy, Citizens / Customers, Operations
Year Implemented
April to June 2020
Summary
Because of the community quarantine restrictions implemented to address the growing number of cases of COVID-19 in the country, the delivery of education at all levels was disrupted. The Department of Education (DepEd) announced that learners would be given their final grades for the unfinished 2019-20 academic year as it was assumed that learners had already achieved the majority of the competencies expected for that school year. However, parents questioned the preparedness of their children for the next grade level as they were not able to fully finish the former.
To respond to these challenges confronting the Biñanense kids and youth, the Youth and Sports Development Office (YASDO) of the Biñan LGU initiated the Biñan Online Tutorials (BOT) on 1 April 2020, with a vision of continuing the education of Biñanense children and youth in their homes during the pandemic.
Background and Problem
The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically affected basic education in the country, as the school year was ended to help control community transmission. Concerned parents doubted whether their children would be ready for the next school year, especially given the unfamiliarity of students with the modality of online classes despite being considered digital natives who spend most of their time playing online games at home rather than acquiring new skills or learning new lessons.
With most schools still undecided at the time on how to proceed due to health and safety concerns, YASDO decided to establish an online tutorial program that would help children in the community to transition to online learning and continue their holistic development despite the pandemic situation.
Solution and Impact
The BOT consisted of ninety-minute online sessions conducted two or three times a week. The project reconnected kids and youth with lessons that were not discussed in class, prepared learners for their next grade level, assisted parents with the productivity of their children, and allowed both students and teachers to gain experience in using the online learning modality.
Each BOT batch lasted for one month and was facilitated by volunteer teachers. The number of registrants increased from less than 90 to 214 during the first batch, driven by both local and national attention. By the opening of the third batch, 851 registrants expressed their intention to join the project. There was also an increase in the number of teachers from eight in the first batch to 76 in the third, which has been taken as another indicator of the project’s success. Both public and private schools in Biñan have since created tutorial sessions based on the BOT model.
Milestones
The BOT was one of the first projects during the COVID-19 pandemic to maximize the use of online transactions for education processes such as registration, orientation, class discussions, examinations, and the distribution of certificates. The program gave both teachers and learners confidence to take on education in the new normal. The beneficiaries of the program gave largely positive feedback, and parents in the community have since expressed that they feel their children are now ready for online distance learning. Moving forward, expanded plans for online exercises, workouts, training, and workshops to be implemented by the Biñan LGU will draw from the experiences gained in implementing BOT.
Because of the success of the program, several organizations have featured BOT on their respective social media platforms. These include news agencies (Inquirer, Manila Bulletin, GMA Network), NGOs (Gawad Laguna), and government organizations (the Department of Interior and Local Government and the League of Cities).