Parents, teachers, students put up radio station for distance learning

How about in Negros, are local government units the only groups putting up radio stations for distance learning of public school students?

Can this be emulated?

The spirit of “bayanihan” or cooperative endeavor has worked wonders for the Cauayan City Science and Technology High School in Cauayan City in the Province of Isabela.

Members of the School Governing Council and General Parents and Teachers Association (GPTA) shared seed monies and effort for the Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan of the Department of Education using the different learning delivery modalities to buy equipment for a school-owned radio station with a 15-watt transmitter named Radyo Edukalidad.

The radio-based learning modality is one of those set to be used by the Education department as classes open during this new normal.

On Sept. 16, the radio station’s inaugural broadcast took place after the ceremonial ribbon-cutting and turnover ceremonies with local officials as guests.

Radyo Edukalidad now airs its educational programs and lesson simulations from 7 a.m. until 4 p.m. Then from Oct. 5, 2020 to June 30, 2021, radio programs will all be devoted to the School Radio-Based Instruction.

Air distance of said station is approximately 14 kilometers and can reach all the 14 barangays in the East Tabacal region of Cauayan City and some parts of forest region-based barangays, as well as some parts of Naguilian and Reina Mercedes towns in central Isabela.

John Mina, school principal, said the laboratory radio “operates on the principles of narrowcasting” and “is useful not only during the implementation of the basic education learning continuity plan but also in the implementation of the Special Program in Journalism which the school offers starting this school year.

“It is also open to all teachers in the area who would like to record their TV and Radio-Based Lessons since the studio is designed to serve multi-functions. It has also an editing section equipped with four desktop computers,” he added.

In a forum last month on the continuity of education amidst the global health crisis by Mina, GPTA president Edmund J. Cardona said there should be a concrete and definite move to address the problems on how to deliver education right at the homes of learners, some of whom lack gadgets and internet connectivity. He suggested Distance Learning via the School On-Air approach as the most convenient and effective yet less costly means of remote teaching and learning.

All key stakeholders present in that forum pledged donations to raise P120,000 for the equipment and training package. The following week until the last part of August, the school received the whole amount from various donors.

Prior to this, the school, through its Facebook page dubbed as TuLay (Tulong Mo, Alay Mo) sa Radyo, called on civic-spirited organizations and alumni to support the fund-raising campaign intended for the purpose.

A popular chain of chicken stores donated P100,000. The school alumni and other individuals pitched in P30,300. All of these were spent for the physical set-up of the broadcast studio, waiting lounge and editing section including procurement of an air-conditioning unit, and several pieces of furniture.

Another local chain of roasted chicken stalls in the city also gave P10,000.00 for the accommodation and travel expenses of two technicians and one trainer.

As part of the procurement package, a two and a half-day training on the technical aspect of handling Radio-Based Lessons was conducted on August 13-15. This was facilitated by broadcaster Domingo Fugaban.

All 36 teachers of the school were trained and had a taste of onboard experience as they delivered their lessons on the second and the third day of their training. They are now handling lesson simulations on air and various educational talk shows via Radyo-Edukalidad.* (Villamor Visaya, Jr., PNA)