THE DEPARTMENT of Education (DepEd) is asking for an additional P9.2 billion to its proposed P12.6-billion digitalization budget next year as more than 18,000 schools still don’t have internet access.
“We want speed up the process (of digitalization)… this is a priority of the President and the department seeing how increased digitalization can help us leapfrog some of the traditional resource gaps given some schools are doing double and triple shifting,” Education Secretary Juan Miguel “Sonny” M. Angara told a Senate Finance Committee hearing on the DepEd’s proposed P793.177-billion budget next year.
He said artificial intelligence-based education platforms could also compensate for the shortage of teachers and other resource gaps.
The secretary also cited partnerships with online education provider KhanAcademy opening 31 pilot schools in the country.
In a July report last year, the Asian Development Bank said the Philippines should use education technology to bridge the skill gap or risk job losses due to rapid technological advancements. — John Victor D. Ordoñez