MANILA, PHILIPPINES – A challenging year has come to pass and as the world inches beyond to surpass it, people have picked up on a newfound sense of hope. With this, many wonder which adopted practices from the past year will continue to stick around, even after the pandemic. After all, this experience has taught and bestowed people on a global scale many tough lessons that one cannot just unlearn nor change, in an instant.
A matter of the most talked about topics is the adoption of online learning. With over 1.2 billion students worldwide, now being taught outside the four walls of the classroom, technology has indeed played a major role in enabling both educators and students to re-channel their schooling from the brick-and-mortar to online platforms.
A recent study initiated by Payoneer — a digital payment platform that empowers businesses to grow globally, analyzed today’s e-learning industry based on an exclusive survey done with virtual teachers. Based on the results, 87% of online educators — both professional skills and foreign language teachers, think that the demand for their services will only increase in the long-term.
In the Philippines, one of the leading factors when choosing a school is its location. Given the worsening traffic situation in larger cities, online programs are generally seen as more efficient and cost-effective with people very seldomly signing in late for their class. Everyone can now have access to good teachers regardless of their location. All that’s needed is a good and stable internet connection.
Online learning has likewise given more opportunities for educators who have the passion and flair for teaching, yet do not have the required formal qualifications. For example, TESL or TOEFL are usually pre-requisites in teaching foreign languages. However, 22% of teachers do not have this certification. Interestingly enough, virtual classrooms present them with an opportunity to teach and earn income via this medium.
The boom in e-learning has also paved the way for an increase in earning potential for teachers. In a time when budget cuts and reduction in force are at an all-time high, 77% of teachers said that online teaching has become their primary source of income.
Since the start of the pandemic, many people have found themselves in search of funnelling their extra time into honing new skills. This reflected a sharp increase in online course enrolment, according to 82% of professional skills instructors and 55% of language learning teachers.
While ‘blended learning’ has been around in the Philippines for quite a while, the pandemic has certainly put online schooling into the spotlight. As a result, the industry has propelled forward at a greater speed and expanded to an audience, global in scope.
Payoneer supports online teachers worldwide by helping them get paid easily and securely. With Payoneer, online teachers can further pursue their passions, at the same time take advantage of their earnings with great conversion value to their local currency.
