‘The challenge is real’ for Daycare workers in a pandemic school year
Walking the familiar classroom was different this year for teacher Shirley Duron of Villegas Child Development Center. She is simply one of the many workers in 104 Day Care Centers and 3 Supervise Neighborhood Places in the 27 barangays that are undergoing adjustments in this trying time.
Shirley has to get up early and get ready to go to her Daycare Center before 8 a.m.But now, no longer like before, she can not engage together along with her students face-to-face in a classroom setting. Of her 43 students, she scheduled five guardians everyday to mentor them on teaching their children –on how to use the worksheets and modules made available to them. This is the daily routine of a daycare teacher that became a major challenge amid the pandemic.
In her 25-year service career, she has adapted to homeschooling for the first time. She also regularly gives advice to guardians and guide them how to do it effectively. She also visits students’ homes regularly to assess their progress. In the feeding program, parents make arrangements for cooking every day, and they have to bring warm food to each house, which is another very difficult task.
As proof of the fruits of their labor, moving-up ceremonies began out from July 1st to July 10th.Teachers go house to house with tarpaulins and certificates to perform the home ceremony certifying a student’s graduation. Other teachers set up a backdrop in their classroom and one by one presented the student’s graduation certificates while taking a photo to maintain physical distance.
Through the sacrifices of teachers, students and parents, more than 4,000 individuals for the School Year 2020-2021 will now be able to proceed in kindergarten. According to Ms. Lenelaine Castillo, Focal Person for the CSWDO-Day Care Division, it was not easy for teachers to teach and supervise their students.“In this pandemic, teachers are really trying to go into every house to get the worksheets out to their students”, Castillo explained.
With P5,000 honorarium from the city government , teachers also receive additional pay from the barangay fund , it ranges from P1,000-P5,000 every month depending on the barangay allocation. Although this is not a huge amount, according to Castillo it is their commitment, dedication, care and love for children that keeps them going inspite of the challenges. “The challenge was real but I remain focused on my goal, on how I can provide adequate childcare services for children between 3 and 4 yearsold”,Duron said in an interview.
Students at Day Care Centers are free of tuition, and even benefit from the regular feeding activity through hotmeals being delivered in the comforts of their own home.
After a challenging school year because to the many adjustments due to the outset of the pandemic, Daycare workers are finallytaking their month-long school vacation before the new school year begins again.