VP Sara eyes WiFi in schools nationwide to boost digital literacy

The Department of Education has been “aggressively” working on establishing internet connectivity in all schools across the country to adapt teaching methodologies in the digital era, Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte said.

During the Philippine Business Conference and Expo on Wednesday, Duterte said that through DepEd Digital Education (Digi-Ed) 2028, the agency plans to procure digital textbooks and supplementary learning resources that will be made available online and offline for learners and teachers.

“The backbone of technology lies in connectivity. We are aggressively taking steps to provide School-Wide Wi-Fi across the country,” she said in her speech.

She disclosed that DepEd has been negotiating with service providers like Starlink, PLDT, Converge, and Globe to make this possible.

According to the DepEd chief, 25 schools have initially been chosen for Starlink’s proof of concept, while 2,000 other schools are currently being given satellites for internet connectivity.

“Today's learners grow up in a digital era, and it is critical that we adapt our teaching methodologies to engage and prepare them for the future. The adoption of digital literacy, e-learning platforms, and interactive classroom environments must be integrated into the educational process,” Duterte said.

She added that DepEd has been having discussions with big and small publishers to procure digital resources as early as 2024.

“Imagine multiple libraries in the palm of your hand. In the palm of our students in public schools. Digitization of learning resources is at the top of our agenda,” she said.

Further, Duterte said that DepEd is developing the MATATAG Portal which will serve as a platform for learners to have instant access to their lessons, resources, modules, activity sheets, and assessments using a unique log-in key.

The agency is also procuring Digi-Ed Learning Carts which will serve as computer-labs-on-wheels. Each cart will be composed of 46 laptops, hard drives, a charging port, and a smart TV.

“In embracing technology, we envision an environment of borderless classrooms and learning without disruptions,” Duterte said.—AOL, GMA Integrated News