Monday, July 21, 2008 DepEd to provide computer lab for 6T schools
TO ENHANCE the skills of high school students in Information Technology (IT), the Department of Education (DepEd) is set to provide 6,000 public secondary schools nationwide with computer laboratories before the school year ends.
DepEd secretary Jesli Lapus said the program is part of their effort to improve IT understanding among students and the quality of basic education in the country.
"This is part of our thrust at DepEd to bring Philippine basic education at par with our neighbors and equip our students with the skills necessary for them to compete with their counterparts from other parts of the world," Lapus said.
He said 4,000 high schools have so far been given computers and other equipment and they are targeting the provision of similar equipment to 2,000 within the school year.
DepEd's goal, according to Lapus, is to equip all public high schools with computers in line with a directive from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
He said they are now coordinating with local government units (LGUs) of fourth and fifth class municipalities that would benefit from the program.
Early this month, Intel delivered 271 Classmate PC (laptop computers) to improve classroom instruction and teacher training in information communication technology (ICT) in public schools.
Lapus said the computers formed the first batch from the 820 units that Intel pledged to DepEd for two years and the Ayala Foundation-led multi-sectoral initiative "Gearing-up Internet Literacy and Access for Students" (Gilas) in a program which seeks to upgrade the Filipino student capability in information and communication technology.
The department has allocated funds for this project although agency such as the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has also pitched in.
The private sector also supported the program, providing computer laboratories and training teachers in using the new technology.
Early this year, DepEd announced that it has already set aside P260 million for the computerization project of both elementary and secondary schools.
Lapus said the DepEd is aiming to connect every public secondary school with Internet by the year 2010.
Data provided by DepEd showed that it has been able to provide computer laboratories to 74 percent or 3,512 public high schools in 2006while 30 percent of these have Internet connection.
Lapus said another 5,280 computers are to be procured this year to achieve 100-percent computer coverage of public high schools.
Another similar program dubbed "i-Schools", according to Lapus, is targeting 320 more public high schools nationwide in a continuing initiative to link 6,000 public high schools to the Internet.
About 360 schools have already been provided with a computer lab, an Internet connection, and teacher training under the "i-Schools" project. (AH/Sunnex)
