The following are the types of claim with their definitions. Read through it for the activity to be answered later on.

# Claim of Fact
- Claims of Fact are pieces of information which are grounded on reliable authority such as science or history.
- Claims of Fact relate to statements that can be easily verified and not dependent on a person's preference. It also asserts that a condition has existed, is existing, or will exist and is based on facts or data.
- Facts that are universally accepted are not considered claim of fact but instead a statement of fact
EXAMPLES OF CLAIMS OF FACT
- The oldest known disease in the world is leprosy.
- Generally, obesity causes health problems.
- Neil Armstrong was the first man to step on the moon.

# Claim of Policy
* The Claim of Policy calls for some form of action.
* It states what the reader should or ought to do about a particular situation /topic.
The Claim of Policy advocates a specific course of action. It asserts that specific policies should be instituted as solutions to problems.

Claims of policy argue that certain conditions should exist. Almost always "should’ or "ought to" or "must" are included in this claim.

Claims of Policy are specific statements on procedures or laws that need to be modified based on certain issues or conditions. Most of the time, claims of policy ask for plans of action to solve current problems.

EXAMPLES OF CLAIMS OF POLICY
* The mayor should suspend the classes today.
* You must send your children to public schools.
* The government should legalize medicinal marijuana.
* The Boy Scouts should not have to include gay scout leaders.
* Local Malls should not open during the general community quarantine.

# Claim of Value
- Claims of Value refer to statements that appeal to a person’s taste and morals or the sense of what’s good and what’s bad.
- This type of claim weighs the values according to which is more desirable. Claim of value deals with topics concerning moral, philosophical, or aesthetic aspects.
Claims of Value involve judgments and evaluations. It judges whether something is good/bad, right/wrong, just/unjust, ethical/non-ethical, and others. We judge the worth of something. It attempts to prove that some things are more or less desirable than others.

Some claims of value are simply expressions of taste, preferences, and prejudices. The most important in proving claim of value is by establishing standards of evaluation.

Activity: Analyze the following essay. And fill in the table below the essay with the claims that are in the essay, and the types of claim they fall into.

EDUCATION IN THE NEW NORMAL
Ching Jorge

If last year’s enrollment figures are to be used as a basis, the Philippine education system will expect around 27 million students to enroll in the Basic Education System in the coming school year. With the early closure of the school year in March, the enhanced community quarantine in effect, and the still unclear future that the COVID-19 pandemic will bring, the Department of Education (DepEd) and our millions of learners are facing enormous challenges.

In a recent evaluation of ALS (Alternative Learning System) interventions done in the Mindanao region during the quarantine period, platforms such as ICT4ALS, Facebook Chat, Google Classroom, the Aral Muna app, and DepEd Commons emerged as the most common technological interventions used. Also popular is the use of radio-based intervention—ppartnerships with local radio stations to announce questions or lessons that can be replied to by phone. There is also the door-to-door delivery of worksheets, take-home learning activity sheets, and take-home portfolio completions. These modalities are being used and explored during the quarantine period and will serve as key learning points for implementation in the larger education system.

While homeschooling and online learning are among the proposed solutions, access to technology and the internet, especially in remote areas, remains a challenge. In the public education system, it is not uncommon for students to lack internet connection at home or be unable to afford to load their phones regularly. Some do not even have computers or phones at all. As this is a reality that many schools, students, and communities will face, the Department of Education proposes a combination of different learning modalities and will be using the blended learning approach.

In-classroom study and individual study/online classroom work, or blended learning, will allow students to learn at their own pace under guided modules. The DepEd has launched an online study platform called DepEd Commons, accessible to both private and public schools, to help students continue their lessons. It has also developed an ALS platform in partnership with Unicef called ICT4ALS, a portal of learning resources, activity sheets, and online tutorials for ALS teachers and learners.

However, the challenge of technology access still remains for public school students. Other factors, such as the home environment (conduciveness to learning), learner attitudes toward home learning, and technology competence, can affect learner outcomes and the effective use of blended learning. Learning at home also requires parent participation and support.

Education’s new normal will not just be about operating in an environment that secures the health of students, nor will it be about completely transitioning to online modalities. Instead, it should be about using technology to increase efficiency in areas with the capacity to do so while empowering learners and communities to create positive learning environments in which students can grow. It should not sacrifice quality but continue to provide equal opportunities, most especially to the marginalized and vulnerable sectors. It is not a one-size-fits-all solution, but one that is dependent on the needs of each learning community.

While the Department of Education carries most of the burden for this challenge, the role of local government units is crucial. An alignment of resources and education goals within each community is needed to support the education ecosystem of students, teachers, and parents and assist in the adjustment to the new normal—homeschooling, parents-teachers training, community internet centers, a Citizen Watch for Education, and establishing LGU leaders as education champions.

While the future remains unknown, by working together to support and empower the education ecosystems in our communities, we can help establish the structures that our students will need to receive the quality education they deserve and bring stability in a time of uncertainty.

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