Philippine Public Basic Education amid the COVID-19 Pandemic through the Reconstructionist Lens

Abstract

This paper seeks to establish the applicability of the reconstructionist philosophy to the situation of Philippine Public Basic Education amid the COVID-19 pandemic. It also explores the following areas to create a better and compelling standpoint: (1) reconstructionist perspective in education, (2) reconstructionist education towards students' development, (3) role of teachers in reconstructionist viewpoint, (4) reconstructionism on Philippine Education amid the pandemic. Reconstructionism emphasizes social change to bring reform to society. It considers education as a medium for rapid and continual change. This educational philosophy serves as a guide that transforms the outlook of the educators in this time of the pandemic. As the country gears the Modular Distance Learning to address learning continuity, reconstructionism provides a backbone to support its implementation. After the thorough analysis, reconstructionism has motivated Filipino teachers in reflecting again on the importance of education. Believing that the world of tomorrow will be governed by today’s youth; it is important to empower the younger generation to ponder about the future and to instill in them the awareness that they will help determine the future according to their own goals and ambitions. No matter the crisis, learning continuity is the battle cry of the Philippines’ education department since education is deemed to be a conscious human activity since time immemorial. Students are regarded to be future drivers of reform dedicated to and active in social transformation. The contexts for learning are diverse and now goes beyond the four walls of the conventional classroom set-up. Learning has now become a more personal responsibility if learners are to survive from a reconstructionist perspective. Reconstructionism is an imperfect philosophy, but it can provide sound judgment and practical implications to arrive at logical educational measures. The most impeccable educational philosophy has yet to be developed. In this sense, humans are necessitated to ponder on the classical measures such as reconstructionism that have been proven through time.