MANILA, Philippines — Andrix Serrano studies alone inside a Manila slum shack he shares with his street-sweeper grandmother. Like many in his fourth-grade class, he has no internet for his shuttered school’s online lessons.
A year after the coronavirus pandemic sent the Philippines into a months-long lockdown, classrooms across the country remain empty and children are still stuck at home.
Fearing youngsters could catch the virus and infect elderly relatives, President Rodrigo Duterte refuses to lift the restrictions until vaccinations are widespread — something that could take years.
A “blended learning” program involving online classes, printed materials and lessons bro…
Keep on reading: Philippines faces ‘learning crisis’ after yearlong school shutdown due to COVID-19 pandemic