Manifesto of Support o n the Adoption of Flexible Learning for Quality Higher Education

On behalf of the Kalinga State University family, let me convey our overwhelming support on the adoption of flexible learning for quality higher education instituted among state universities and colleges through the leadership of Chairperson Prospero "Popo" de Vera as a continuity plan so as not to unnecessarily disrupt the delivery of instruction amidst the unprecedented challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

At the outset, we were apprehensive of the possibility of gargantuan fiasco in the delivery of instruction through online modes more so that many of our students reside in the outskirts and remote areas of the province that lack access to high-speed internet connectivity and reliable devices. In the urban areas even with a reliable internet connection, access to certain digital devices remains a challenge, always just out of reach for those who can't afford costly gadgets such as laptops and smartphones.

Undeniably, we have initially dealt with this pessimistic feedback from our stakeholders such as the erroneous and misguided assumption that flexible learning is exclusively tantamount to online learning. Be that as it may, we have emphasized that online learning is just one of the modalities of flexible learning which in reality involves a combination of digital and non-digital technology hence it does not necessarily require being connected to the internet.

In our attempt to curtail the adverse impact of digital divide between and among our students, we circumspectly appraised their situation and adopted an innovative educational framework that best suits them. In the face of adversity, we opted to become better by adopting and implementing proactive policies recommended by CHED for the continuance of higher education. We adopted a flexible learning approach that includes the combination of both online (synchronous and asynchronous) and offline strategies to ensure accessibility and flexibility in learning taking into account the situation and context of our students and efficiency of the learning environment.

By resorting to flexible learning, we have not compromised our academic standards and simultaneously minimized the disruptions this pandemic have caused to our normal operation as an academic institution of higher learning.

 

SGD.

EDUARDO T. BAGTANG, CPA, DBM

SUC President III