The city government of Navotas has launched the NavoSchool-in-a-Box program to ensure continued access to basic education for young Navoteños.
The City Schools Division Office (SDO) distributed the boxes to select parents of students enrolled in kindergarten, grade 6, and grade 8 levels at Bagumbayan Elementary School, Dagat-dagatan Elementary School, and Navotas National High School.
The boxes contained textbooks, self-learning modules, activity sheets, and school supplies. Those for kindergarten pupils included hygiene kits and toys donated by the Philippine Toy Library and other private entities.
From June 30 to July 3, teachers of these schools will conduct a simulation of the distance learning classes via an online messaging app or through text messages.
Parents will guide their children in accomplishing assigned tasks and developing desired learning competencies. They will submit the actual output of the learners and the assessment of the module every week.
Teachers will constantly coordinate with parents on the progress of their children and if any concerns arise, school officials said.
“Based on the survey conducted by our SDO, we learned that most of our students have access to cellphones and mobile data. This is why our education stakeholders decided that it is best to use the modified modular distance learning approach,” Mayor Toby Tiangco said.
“Through the NavoSchool boxes, we can ensure that access to education remains unhampered by the COVID-19 pandemic. We also hope that because of constant interaction, this learning approach will help build a better and stronger relationship between parents and their children,” he added.
The City Government of Navotas, through the Special Education Fund, allotted P11 million for the purchase of 49,000 NavoSchool-in-a-Box sets.
OIC Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Alejandro Ibañez said they intend to completely distribute the boxes two weeks before the official opening of classes on August 24.