NURTURING THE SEEDS OF HOPE: In promoting the mental well-being among Filipino students

With the Philippines breaching the 400,000-mark of total recorded cases, the COVID-19 pandemic proves to be one of the greatest challenges that Filipinos have ever faced. Not only does it bring adverse impacts on our national health and economic sector, but it has also shaken up the country’s education system as a consequence of implementing necessary policies to contain its spread. Switching from face-to-face classes to an online mode of learning, students are burdened with several difficulties that overweigh the expected convenience of online classes, thus are prone to experiencing mental health concerns. Now more than ever, student mental health should be a prime concern as this can significantly help in shaping the students into the seeds of hope whom our nation must keep an eye on.

FROM BOOKS TO LAPTOPS. Two grade school students taking up online classes in the fields. Photo taken by Sasin Tipchai via Pixabay

Given the threat of the COVID-19, the safest way to pursue education is to shift from the traditional mode of learning to an online setting. This setup can be less costly as students won’t have to pay for transportation and other school miscellaneous fees which make tuition payments more expensive. On top of these, taking up online classes promotes student independence as students are forced to learn on their own pacing without solely relying on their teachers.

However, an online setting can also be disadvantageous to some learners. There are students who are auditory learners and there are some who still need the hands-on assistance of teachers, making student-centered learning inefficient for these types of students. Moreover, intermittent internet connection problems can occur anytime along with power outage in some cities and far-flung areas, which can stress out students in meeting deadlines and backlogs. For students who belong to low-income families, the need for laptops, printers and scanners, and other necessary gadgets for optimal participation in the online classes can also add up to the burden of academic load.

According to a survey conducted by Church-run Radio Veritas, 34% of Filipino students feel exhausted, 30% feel anxious, 10% are frustrated, 7% are disappointed, and 6% feel sad, whereas only 13% of students have positive reactions with the conduct of online classes. The main reasons why most students feel this way are the overwhelming increase in academic workload, unstable internet connectivity that hampers their participation in online classes, and the absence of physical peer support.

Although stress may be advantageous for short-term situations, the chronic stress that students may experience from the continuous challenges that come along with online learning may be detrimental to their overall well-being which will hinder them from performing the way they should. The feeling of stress is a complex process that begins in the central nervous system of the body and affects several other organ systems.

The adrenal gland, as directed by the hypothalamus in the brain during difficult situations, releases the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones travel through the bloodstream and cause the heart to beat faster, thus sending blood rushing to the areas in the body that need it most. This response continues as long as the stressors are present which results in chronic stress.

Chronic stress leads to various effects on the body, mood, and behavior of an individual. The physical symptoms include headache, muscle tension or pain, chest pain, fatigue, stomach upset, and sleep problems. Changes in the mood include anxiety, restlessness, lack of motivation or focus, irritability, and sadness. Negative behavior results from these changes, which may be in the form of angry outbursts, social withdrawal, overeating or undereating, and even drug or alcohol misuse. All these adverse effects, if left neglected and untreated, may possibly lead to depression and to having suicidal thoughts which are opposite to the goals of education.

Despite the rising challenges of online learning, recognition should still be given to the teachers who give considerations to the individual situations of their students when formulating activities, setting deadlines, and scheduling assessments. Additionally, changes have also been made to the curriculum in order for it to be suitable for classes given the time frame and platforms available for online learning.

However, even with these efforts to make online classes as light and as student-friendly as possible, students are still prone to suffering from mental health concerns as there are those who have underestimated the complexity of conducting online classes. To address this, students must always be given enough time to do the activities which depends on how much time it would take for an activity to be finished. The teachers, if possible, must also plan ahead the deadlines with their co-teachers to avoid the piling up of activities which can make students feel less burdened with heavy academic load. For better communication, students must be provided with platforms where they can ask questions to their teachers regarding the activities and upcoming assessments.

At present, where calamities frequently occur, educational institutions must immediately announce the suspension of classes as affected students during these unfortunate events must prioritize their own safety instead of worrying about upcoming deadlines of activities. These students must be given enough time to recover from the physical and emotional damage inflicted by the calamity before requiring them to submit any missed activities.

Furthermore, with the main goal of education to develop the knowledge of students in different fields, teachers are encouraged to design activities that will ensure that students obtain the intended learning outcomes as provided in the curriculum instead of having activities that are only submitted for the sake of compliance.

In this time of health crisis, aside from focusing on downplaying the economic loss we have suffered, having a rigid and concrete education system must also be given priority which, in the process, must take into consideration the mental health of students. For this to happen, educational institutions, teachers, and students themselves must all play their part to make online classes a conducive learning environment. We have to take note that students must not be treated like machines who are capable of storing metric tons of information, working non-stop around the clock. After all, the students are our seeds of hope; they should be nourished with knowledge and watered with care in order for them to thrive and grow into productive citizens - citizens who are not afraid to pursue societal changes that will provide the country with the capacity to stand on its own two feet, uncovering hidden opportunities that will illuminate new pathways forward.

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