Monday, August 06, 2007 Worried by gaps in performance, DepEd to test cyberspace teaching
TO give public school students equal access to quality education, wherever they may be in the country, the education department is turning to cyberspace.
“Our problem is that we have the best of students and teachers winning in Math and Science Olympiads internationally. There are so many achievements, but what is important is the national average. The National Achievement Test results are dismal,” Education Secretary Jesli Lapus told reporters in Cebu last week.
“Cyber education” is a satellite-based distance education program that provides real-time interactivity to public schools.
Lapus described it as the fastest and most cost-effective way to help students perform better nationwide.
The project will link all DepEd administrative units in the country: the central office, 17 regional offices, 187 division offices and 37,792 public elementary and high schools.
Some P5.8 billion will be earmarked for its first phase implementation in at least 3,000 schools.
According to DepEd, the initial investment will spare the children from having to go to Internet cafes, which charge P15 to P20 per hour.
Lapus is optimistic cyber education will narrow down the disparities in classroom learning and teacher competencies.
“This is a way of equalizing and giving our schools similar access to quality education. This is the only fastest way to address the problem. If we don’t (use this), the trend (for improvement) will not go up,” explained Lapus.
Under the Cyber Ed Project, training programs and live broadcast means will be created, which will allow DepEd officials and trainers to interact directly with DepEd’s 470,004 public school teachers.
“Teachers will no longer have to travel long distances to gain access to training since these will now be available at the school level,” Lapus added.
He was in Cebu last week to sign a memorandum of agreement with the Aboitiz Group of Companies for the renewal of a private-public sector partnership through the Adopt-a-School program.
Lapus relaunched Adopt-a-School program in September 2006.
For the past 10 months, DepEd has been orienting principals about how the program is being reengineered to involve more private sector support for public education. (NRC)
