A CITY lawmaker is proposing to provide gadgets for students.
Baguio City Councilor Betty Lourdes Tabanda urged the Department of Education (DepEd) to procure computer tablets in lieu of textbooks and reference materials under the Special Education Fund (SEF) allotted for the cancelled Cordillera Administrative Region Athletic Association (Caraa) 2020.
Tabanda said since classes are suspended to avoid face to face and physical contact amid the Covid-19 pandemic, DepEd plans to conduct online classes using digital technology, blending with face to face lessons and to be able to allow students to catch up and continue the curriculum despite the physical absence, tablets and other gadgets are a must.
“Online classes require the use of technology such as the computer tablet (a small portable computer) which allows interactive student-teacher interaction. The computer tablet can efficiently replace textbooks and other reference materials as it can be connected to vast and updated sources of information,” Tabanda said in her proposed measure.
Tabanda proposed to DepEd to cull funds intended for the canceled Caraa.
Caraa is an annual sports competition participated by six provinces and two cities in the region, however, for the current year, the sports event was canceled as a precautionary measure against the highly infectious coronavirus disease.
The lady lawmaker’s resolution said the amount from the Special Education Fund (SEF) from the 2020 executive budget of the City Government has been allotted for Caraa.
“With the cancellation, the allotted amount may now be used for an equally relevant program that will benefit the public school students. After all, it is the mission of the department to facilitate learning and constantly nurture every learner,” Tabanda added.