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Thursday, February 24, 2005
Selected schools in Central Luzon to be 'wired up'
By Janet Rosalie Anne H. Polita
RECOGNIZING the increasing and integral role played by information technology (IT) in the attainment of the country's economic growth and global competitiveness, the Department of Science and Technology (Dost) is extending its project of connecting schools to the information superhighway via the Internet with selected public schools in Central Luzon as target beneficiaries.
The project has been endorsed by Senator Ramon B. Magsaysay Jr., chair of the Senate science and technology (S&T) committee, to promote IT as a vital tool for the country's economic growth and development.
"We will pursue this project to build and upgrade IT competencies of our students. We are specifically targeting S&T-oriented tertiary and secondary schools in Region III," said Science Secretary Estrella F. Alabastro.
Through the "Interconnectivity Project," the Dost aims to harness IT for more effective teaching and learning in selected secondary and tertiary schools from five regions in the country.
Implemented under the supervision of the Dost Regional Office (Region III) together with Dost's Philippine Council for Advanced Science and Technology Research and Development (PCASTRD), the project allows more students and faculty members to gain familiarity with the Internet and maximize its potential in education and research.
Alabastro said at the tertiary level, priority will be given to state colleges and universities offering basic science, engineering and/or computer sciences courses.
The selected schools will receive support for the actual setup and payment of one-year Internet subscription, and other fees for Internet access, acquisition of modem, router, required software for Internet connection. In addition, they will be provided training on Internet and network management. The schools shall provide their own computers.
A P1 million budget has been allotted for the one-year implementation of the project.
Launched in 1998, the interconnectivity project has initiated Internet connection in Region IV, VI, and XI and one high school in the National Capital Region. Through the project, schools from those regions not only gained access to the Internet but also developed institutional competency in network administration and maintenance.
In 2000, the municipality of Virac, Catanduanes in Region V joined the roster of areas connected to the Internet with the installation of fiber optics system loop. (PR)
(February 24, 2005 issue)
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