As part of its commitment to accelerate the delivery of basic education facilities and services, the Department of Education (DepEd) on Thursday, Jan. 25, announced the launching of the DepEd Digital Education 2028 or “DepEd DigiEd 2028.”
“This will be our flagship program to banner our commitment to adaptability and technological advancement,” Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte said during the presentation of the Basic Education Report (BER) 2024.
“Through the DepEd DigiEd 2028, we will pursue full digitization and interconnectivity of all DepEd offices and schools nationwide,” Duterte said.
Through the DepEd DigiEd 2028, Duterte said that school-wide wi-fi will be provided to all schools and offices across the country.
“Although our record shows that 69 percent of our schools nationwide have access to internet connectivity, the truth is that most are limited only to faculty rooms,” Duterte said.
Related to this, Duterte said that DepEd has already initiated talks with Converge, PLDT, Globe, Starlink, and other internet providers with the “aim of providing adequate internet access to both teachers and learners in our schools.”
Duterte noted that DepEd will also endeavor to provide e-textbooks alongside traditional textbooks.
“To leverage digital technology, we have started consultations with various publishers to facilitate the provision of electronic textbooks,” Duterte said.
In the procurement of textbooks for the MATATAG K-10 Curriculum, Duterte said that DepEd will require the winning bidder to “provide us with electronic copies that learners may access anytime… anywhere.”
Moreover, Duterte said that DepEd will also modernize assessment systems, including equipment and manpower, to enable large-scale assessments using computer-based methodologies.
“We will optimize the use of technology while ensuring its responsible and ethical use, especially with the world exploring Artificial Intelligence in both teaching and learning,” she added.
In addition to this, Duterte also announced the launching of the “MATATAG Portal.”
“This will be a one-stop online/offline platform open to teachers, learners and parents,” Duterte explained.
The Portal, she added, will house all digital learning resources and applications to make both learning and teaching materials “easily accessible even in times of calamities.”
Duterte said that the portal also seeks to connect multiple DepEd systems to “provide real-time education statistics and information to our stakeholders.”
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