DepEd eyes cyber teaching in public schools

PRIETO DIAZ, Sorsogon - Ever heard of Channels Grade 1, Grade 3 or Fourth Year? You wouldn't find them in your television sets but they could be accessed by pupils and students in public schools once the Department of Education launches its Cyber Education program later this year, said Education Secretary Jesli Lapus during his visit here. Lapus said the program aims to increase the quality of teaching in the country by tapping the best teachers in public schools who could give lessons to pupils and students in various schools nationwide through cyberspace. He explained that the cyber education would also partially solve the present shortage in books and teachers and it will double as training for teachers. “Students will learn from the best teachers and teachers would also have new knowledge in doing their job," he said, referring to the plan to tap the best teachers in each subject area being taught in public schools. The program, which was already approved by the National Economic Development Authority, will be allocated $100 million from the Chinese government as part of the Official Development Assistance (ODA), he said. Lapus said that this early the program was already being criticized by some sectors who were questioning why the DepEd was investing so much in computers when it had not yet solved the acute shortage in books and teachers. The DepEd secretary explained that the program was in fact a solution to the problem as it would answer the need for more books and teachers. "As per our estimate, DepEd would be spending only P0.50 per student for the program, which is a negligible amount," he said. Education is one aspect where the government in the past had under-invested when it has the biggest potential for a huge return-of-investment in terms of good quality of citizens, Lapus pointed out. Set to start in the first quarter of next year, the program would initially include 3,000 schools but would exclude those that are in the first and second class cities. Lapus said each grade and year level will have its own channel and will cover all the subjects in the curriculum with each subject consisting of a 20-minute interactive computer lecture and 40-minute classroom lecture. The DepEd secretary said that lectures conducted through the computer could be replayed as they would be stored in the computer to be set up in the multi-media classroom. Lapus said the program and the computers will be set up by the Xing Hua University, which is presently the best in distance learning program worldwide. Currently, the distance learning system is now being used in a school at a slum area in Quezon City. Neighboring countries like Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, India and China also use the system, Lapus added. He said DepEd is targeting 37,000 schools to be covered by the program within a three-year period. Lapus said many private companies whose line of business are in information technology have long been inquiring how they could be of help to the government. He said now they would have an avenue to extend their assistance to the community through this program. The education secretary assured local officials of Sorsogon led by Governor-elect Sally Lee and Mayor Benito Doma that Sorsogon would be one of the pilot areas of the program with the inclusion of the Prieto Diaz Elementary School in the list of beneficiaries. Lapus was invited by GMA Network Executive Mel Tiangco of the Kapuso Foundation to the turn over ceremonies of two new school buildings that were repaired and constructed by the foundation to the local government and local DepEd officials. - GMANews.TV