Citing the health risks and difficulties in the delivery of learning modules, Vice President Leni Robredo said on Sunday the Department of Education (DepEd) must consider providing gadgets to students amid the coronavirus pandemic.
(OVP / Facebook / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Speaking on her weekly radio show, Robredo pushed for the distribution of gadgets to students as sustainable learning tools for distance learning.
“Mas hindi siya magastos in the sense na wala iyong pang-araw-araw na printing. Ano siya, environment-friendly (It is less expensive in the sense that there is no need to pay for the daily printing costs. It is environment-friendly),” she said.
Robredo lamented some teachers have yet to finish the printing of the learning modules and have them delivered a day before the school opening.
“Ang problema ng modular, sobrang pagod sa teachers. Hindi lang sobrang pagod, sobrang magastos kasi ang dami mong ipi-print. Dadalhin mo sa mga bahay ng estudyante tapos magpi-pick-up, ikaw. (The problem with modular, it is very tiring for teachers. This is not only tiring, but also costly because you have to print a lot of modules. You have to deliver them to the houses of students, then you have to pick them up yourself),” she said.
Given their sad plight, Robredo stressed it would be better to ”give students gadgets in the long run instead of printing the modules for them daily.”
The Office of the Vice President (OVP), in partnership with the private sector, has distributed 220 free tablet computers to students from various public schools in three areas in time for the opening of classes.
Among the recipient schools were Don Mariano Marcos Elementary School and Loakan Elementary School in Baguio City; Yagyagan Elementary School in Benguet; and Madapdap High School and Sitio Target Integrated School in Pampanga.
Robredo’s office initiated the Bayanihan E-skwela program for the gadget donation drive, establishment of learning hubs in communities for students without internet access, and production of instructional video series on distant learning for parents and teachers.