The National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP) made a quick study to determine how selected sectarian schools in Mega Manila were able to survive and sustain their operation since the onset of the pandemic up to the present. The results of this study will be presented during the 10th Kapakanan ng Tao sa Oras ng Pandemya-COVID (KTOP-COVID) on August 17, 2021 via Zoom.
Photo source: Rappler
Included in the study are the basic education and undergraduate programs. It looked into the strategies implemented by the school in the area of people, educational services, environment and organizational culture and how these strategies were able to sustain the operation of the institutions using multiple case study approach. Administrators, faculty and non-teaching personnel were interviewed and their responses were organized and analyzed.
It also revealed that schools retained their personnel; cost containment measures were implemented; maintained physical and digital environment; and utilized varied educational approaches depending on the resources of both school and students. Likewise, the results show that proactive leaders and faculty and staff who were ready to embrace change are critical to the survival of private schools, particularly that these generally do not get funding from government for its operations. To survive, schools should look beyond excellence and empathy but consider areas never looked into before the onset of pandemic.
This study was led by Dr. Maria Antonia Crudo-Capili, NRCP member of Division VIII – Social Sciences, with her team from Trinity University of Asia: Rona Maye Gonzaga-Trinidad, Marissa, Ejercito-Borines, Gracia DG Sarao, and Shaira Santiago.
