There are approximately 1.2 billion children in 186 countries affected by school closures due to the pandemic. Understandably, this is a major cause of concern for parents especially in the Philippines where education is at the top of the list of priorities in most households. But even before COVID-19, there was already high growth and adoption in education technology outside the traditional school paradigm worldwide.
The shift away from classroom-centric education may even persist post-pandemic as CHED Chair Prospero de Vera himself expressed that, “There’s no going back to the traditional full-packed face-to-face classrooms. The commission has adopted the policy that flexible learning will continue in school year 2021 and thereafter.” The Department of Education, on its part, announced that they would be implementing distance learning, modular approach, blended learning, and homeschooling for the academic year.
With the great majority of Filipino families relying on the Department of Education’s blended learning approach since last year, an erstwhile less-travelled path may be one of the long-term educational solutions many are looking for in these extraordinary times.
Homeschooling is another means of being floated as an alternative learning mode. This aims to provide students with equal access to quality basic education through a home-based environment to be facilitated by qualified parents, guardians, or individuals who have undergone relevant training.
With this directive of the DepEd, Vibal Group, Inc. created and established a program that would not only be able to help students continue receiving quality education even during the pandemic, but also to address emerging learners’ preferences in the 21st century.
Happy Homeschool is Vibal’s K-10 homeschool program for independent homeschooling parents and learners. Vibal’s homeschool curriculum combines DepEd’s K-12 curriculum and interest-driven learning. Throughout the entire school year, learners will attend online classes taught by Vibal faculty, take offline modular self-paced courses, and will join non-academic programs and special courses based on their interest and learning journey.
Happy Homeschool is designed to provide independent homeschoolers and their parents with the support system and infrastructure of a school while retaining the flexibility for parents and learners to customize their learning journey through interest-led activities. Vibal will provide support through the help of learning specialists who would serve as students’ teachers and tutors.
Vibal learning specialists enjoy a workable, realistic, and holistic professional and personal development to ensure that they can provide quality education to students. They continuously hone their knowledge and skills through attendance and participation in various seminars, trainings, workshops and conferences.
Specifically, Vibal faculty are trained to construct 21st-century instructional materials and teaching instruction in different subject areas, observe classroom management in online classes, apply a positive discipline approach in teaching, utilize online teaching methods, techniques and approaches, prepare effective assessments and maximize the potential of distance learning. Regular faculty meetings are also conducted to monitor their performance and help them strengthen weaknesses. Vibal ensures that these learning specialists are given the support they need to widen their knowledge and improve their skills in educating students.
Furthermore, learners who are enrolled in the Happy Homeschool Program will be using Vibal’s flagship VSmart School learning management system to provide them the experience of being inside the classroom virtually. Using VSmart School, students can answer modules, activities, and exercises synchronously or asynchronously.
Now in its 2nd year, Happy Homeschool now offers MAPEH and Computer in addition to the five major subjects English, Mathematics, Filipino, Science, Araling Panlipunan. Enrollment is now ongoing, with classes officially starting on September 20. To enroll or to learn more about Vibal Happy Homeschool Program, please visit
www.happy homeschool.ph. You can also text or call 09687616294, or email [email protected] or [email protected].