Question

Learning Task 2 Read the news article below. Analyze the ideas presented, then make a report differing the viewpoints between Senator Gatchalian and Education Undersecretary San Antonio. Give your personal viewpoints about it. MANILA-Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said Wednesday he was surprised at the Department of Education's report that over 99 percent of students passed the first grading period of the current school year, which saw Philippine schools shift to distance learning due to the pandemic. At a Senate hearing, a presentation by Education Undersecretary Diosdado San Antonio showed that 99.13 percent of students obtained passing marks during the first quarter. The figure was based on reports submitted by 156 out of 223 school divisions across the country and had yet to include data from the Ilocos Region, Central Visayas, National Capital Region and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. "We're not after the intention of misrepresentation of data. We just need to appreciate it fully. But for now, personally, this is my personal thought, it was just surprising that the results were all 99 percent," said Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate basic education committee. The education official noted that the basis for most of the grades were performance tasks and written outputs since schools did not administer the usual periodic examinations. San Antonio also attributed the passing mark to the DepEd's academic ease policy, which gives flexibility to students in answering and submitting requirements. Gatchalian showed an assessment done by the DepEd's division office in Valenzuela City, where he previously served as mayor and legislative district representative. The assessment showed that Valenzuela students from Grade 7 to 10 had an overall average performance rate of 48 percent to 55 percent across different subjects. "These are just preliminary results but I wanted to get an indication somehow of whether our students are learning. This sounds more realistic, frankly speaking, compared to the 99 percent who passed," Gatchalian said. "Of course, I want all of them to pass but realistically, we all know the performance of our students," the lawmaker added. Viewpoint A: Viewpoint B: My personal Viewpoint:​

Answer 1

• Viewpoint A (Senator Gatchalian): Senator Gatchalian expressed surprise at the Department of Education's report that over 99% of students passed the first grading period of the current school year, which was based on reports submitted by 156 out of 223 school divisions across the country. He noted that the results seemed unrealistic and questioned the basis for the grades, which were mostly performance tasks and written outputs since schools did not administer the usual periodic examinations. He also presented an assessment done by the DepEd's division office in Valenzuela City, which showed that students had an overall average performance rate of 48% to 55% across different subjects.
• Viewpoint B (Education Undersecretary San Antonio): Education Undersecretary Diosdado San Antonio explained that the passing mark of over 99% was due to the DepEd's academic ease policy, which gives flexibility to students in answering and submitting requirements. He also noted that the figure was based on reports submitted by only 156 out of 223 school divisions across the country and did not yet include data from some regions.
• Personal Viewpoint: While it is important to recognize the achievements of students who passed the first grading period, it is also important to consider the quality and reliability of the grading system. It is reasonable to question the high passing rate when it is based on performance tasks and written outputs rather than periodic examinations, which are more comprehensive measures of student learning. However, it is also important to consider the context of distance learning during a pandemic, which has posed many challenges for students and educators alike. The academic ease policy may have been necessary to ensure that students could still learn and progress despite the limitations of distance learning. Nonetheless, it is important for the DepEd to continue to assess and improve the grading system to ensure that it accurately reflects student learning and achievement.