MANILA – A lawmaker is pressing the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to establish concrete benchmarks and a clear timeline for reviewing the implementation of full online classes in colleges and universities.
Senator Pia Cayetano said the move to allow higher education institutions (HEIs) to adopt fully digital learning is meant to address current energy challenges while ensuring that education continues uninterrupted.
Still, she underscored the importance of keeping the policy temporary by introducing safeguards and regularly assessing its impact on student learning.
Cayetano stressed that learning outcomes must be closely monitored, citing ongoing concerns about gaps in students’ academic progress.
She cautioned that without proper oversight, the measure could become a long-term practice, recalling how emergency learning setups during the COVID-19 pandemic lingered longer than expected.
The senator also pointed to the risk of deepening inequality, as some students lack access to stable internet connections, digital tools, and conducive study spaces.
She maintained that in-person classes remain vital for holistic development and urged CHED and HEIs to treat full online learning strictly as an emergency response, subject to regular review and clear performance indicators.
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