Dubious information amidst barrage of data

by Cygne Sauvage

There was a time when a newspaper was a ubiquitous feature on every breakfast table whether that of a wealthy tycoon’s or a cash strapped farmer’s. The only variation was in the quality of paper, the number of pages as well as the size. Though the highlights or focus of the printed materials as well as the style of writing differed, still all daily publications featured the same reality events that rocked the local scenes or the global arena. These were the only authoritative sources of current information, a blow by blow account of newsworthy circumstances that appealed to human interests. A sensational incidence usually graced the headlines for days transformed into a human drama series followed by a huge throng of curious readers.

In those days, rarely the veracity of the facts written on gazettes were met with skepticism. Narratives from seasoned journalists were embraced as gospel truths, as genuine as the accompanying morning coffee and cereals, or fried rice and tea if the reader were from the Orient. News articles were even clipped, collected, annotated and even quoted as references.

As progress in communications technology paved the way to various forms of media, access to information became more convenient and outreach of news circles much wider. Broadcast reports supplemented and made more elaborate, easier to understand ongoing local and national situations. Live coverages further enhanced quality of audience perception as they witnessed developments of real phenomena even though these were multi kilometers away from home.

We are now into the Fourth Industrial Revolution where everybody is interconnected to a common world wide web, wired to countless data sources. Ironically, quality information or reliable facts turned elusive as well. Data platforms, algorithms invade gadgets deemed inseparable and indispensable from their human proprietors. Reading is done on a standard cold screen, now a fundamental necessity under the new normal set by the pandemic. Newspapers, books, magazines have lost dimensions and are now published and digested online. Even a four-year old toddler knows what buttons to push to watch the bushfires in Australia or bull race in Pamplona. At this peak of intelligence and knowledge network we expected our lives to be less chaotic, less unsure. On the contrary, we are falling gradually into the realm of uncertainty which somehow governs the universe.

The ease in data access opens the floodgates wide to what Bruce Wayne, the alter ego of Batman terms as “people whose sole aim is to spread chaos and destroy the world.” They infiltrate the web with creative scams and fake news. With their sophisticated technologies they could thwart truth to mislead and capture innocent minds. That their evil deeds have deeply penetrated and pose danger to the world can be gleaned from the proliferation of warnings on social media of their demonic traps. There have been myriad pointers issued on how to detect fake news, reminders to parents on not leaving their children to their own devices whenever they use their gadgets. Weird crimes that years ago were the domain of sci-fi movies ceased to be fictional.

With the current pandemic paranoia is further accentuated by generated doubts on the probity of published advice from health experts, that not a few netizens just opted to shut themselves out not only from the physical world but also from the virtual sphere. Quarantine for both body and mind.

With remote learning as the new norm how do we fend off the many ways these diabolic fiends could ambush our children’s education?

Better alternative to kneading dough

by Cygne Sauvage

The internationally known British magazine The Economist featured an entertaining yet informative article on the substantial number of office executives who have embarked on baking during lockdown citing this as positively impacting the economy.

This is indeed a worldwide phenomenon as my household could attest to it. The blueberry muffin we snacked on yesterday afternoon were the creation of soft and lotion-maintained hands of a friend, a displaced CEO of a fledgling fashion magazine. This morning we had for breakfast the cheese-filled bread sold online by a furloughed manager of a spa. Kneading the dough must be a stress dissipating activity that likewise delivers the home’s supplemental financial returns for it to be the popular choice for career shifts during the long, still ongoing period of quarantine. A big number of new practitioners in this line of work were once executive and operations officers of business firms rendered both illiquid and insolvent by the pandemic.

However, there is a downside to this trend in the increase of kitchen habitues experimenting on novel concoctions of flour and sugar, particularly on the health of the general population. A dangerous outcome lurking behind and which should not occur during this global health scare is rise in the number of people with excess glucose levels which is among a number of favorable factors for obesity, one of the identified perilous co-morbidities of severe coronavirus infection.

Maybe there could be alternative economically viable endeavors which could harness not their newly discovered skills in manipulating the dough and calibrating ovens, rather their university conferred degrees or chosen professional discipline, that would be beneficial even beyond the household micro level. As they say, all possibilities must be explored in the face of tight situations.

When I was of the age just mastering my reading and writing proficiency there was an aunt who intermittently appeared in our household and always imposed her unsolicited assistance whenever she chanced upon me struggling with my school assignments. From then on up to post dinner time she would engage in her repeatedly echoed litany of stories about her experience as a teacher during the war. I learned from other members of her generation in my clan that she had just obtained a primary school diploma, a difficult feat then, but was already qualified as a mentor for grade one students during that time. This was due to a dearth of tutors. Schools were closed but the education of the children were not halted. The locals managed to hold clandestine classes under the trees or in makeshift shacks within the vicinity of the pupils’ residences to minimize their movement and exposure to the risks attendant to the armed conflict.

The ongoing pandemic can be likened to a war where there are expected potential social, cultural and economic casualties, one of which is continuing education. On the other hand, it must not be sidelined.

At the forefront of raging debates on school opening for grade schoolers is whether to conduct classes purely on remote learning mode or face to face interaction or a combination. Many argue the readiness of the students in this age group for a computer-based online learning methodology, is doubtful. Public school teachers vehemently opposed physical presence in the classroom but at the same time at a loss as to how they would cope with the technology of the new norm of teaching. Privately employed mentors with hesitation would face the risk of personal appearance. That the former would still be paid by the government regardless classes were held or not, while the latter could have their employment terminated if their school opted not to proceed with the academic year explains this big difference in their positions. Most private schools could not afford the huge financial outlay called for by remote learning. Offsetting the cost through tuition fee increase would not be attractive during this challenging time.

Education policy makers should learn from the community approach to learning implemented during the war. Perhaps decongesting schools through holding of small cells of classes within the perimeter of pupils’ households would be a viable interim arrangement. Nationalizing private schools not on par with the cost and requirements of the new norm of learning should likewise be considered, And what would fill the huge gaps in the needed number of mentors these strategies would entail? They could pull out those professional bankers, managers and technology savants from the kitchen.

The government must deeply ponder several approaches and strategies tao address this dilemma. Otherwise the future of this country would be in the hands of obese zombies who can’t properly read nor write words unless with array of animated colors and eardrum shattering sounds of a laptop screen. Worse, they could only eat baked chips.

Teach the children well, please

by Cygne Sauvage

Snack Time, Oil pastel on canvass by Frances Mae Carolina Ramos

The community quarantine adopted by my country as a strategy to contain the spread of Covid-19 started in mid-March this year, almost three weeks before the conclusion of the school year for primary and secondary schools. Thus, holding of classes were abruptly terminated, the annual education calendar was declared consumated.

Three months into planning the configuration of the succeeding school year under the so called new normal government honchos still could not provide a concrete, defined methodology as to how schoolchildren could access learning without exposure to the virulent pathogen. As time moves nearer the traditional commencement of the academic period authorities mandated that student’s health are primordial hence physical attendance in school is still not possible as the pandemic curve is still far from being flattened. This leaves, per official declaration, remote learning as the only viable scheme as popular sentiment rules out cancellation of the entire school year.

While there is no argument about prioritizing safety and well-being of the young generation who would be the future leaders, movers and shakers in the country’s political and economic milieu there is much skepticism on the level of serious thinking invested in this very crucial component of nation building by those who have the responsibility in the design. The matter for decision needs careful and thorough planning as this is not a trivial issue like attending a field trip but the development journey of every pupil who is in his/her formative years.

Is remote learning a viable educational approach? Has the virus sapped the grey matter of our education pundits that they have given up exploring options and entrust the literacy of fifty per cent of our population to gadgets which according to psychologists, citing various studies, hamper critical thinking?

And in a technologically challenged developing country without having established a national broadband, this learning methodology would be at the mercy of the two telecommunications giants not known for their efficient services. The only winner in this solution is their balance sheets.

Mentor-student interaction via online instruction should be resorted only under very extreme situations and many believe the country is still far from this predicament.

Why not explore community-based classrooms using common public facilities such as parks, basketball courts in areas that are far from school infrastructure? Send the teachers to these locations. This likewise puts physical distancing at check.

And there could be other bright ideas. Let us not deprive the children of their inalienable rights to education.

Suggested Reading:

Remote School Is a Nightmare. Few in Power Care.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/29/opinion/coronavirus-school-reopening.html?campaign_id=2&emc=edit_th_20200630&instance_id=19864&nl=todaysheadlines&regi_id=52887640&segment_id=32200&user_id=f53ea3d7ac2dd90c191a4ede6b403b7c