Gatchalian mulls law on providing laptop, connectivity for every public school learner

Senator Win Gatchalian eyes introducing legislation that will give every public school learner a laptop and access to the internet.

To emphasize the urgency of this planned measure, Gatchalian pointed to a finding by assessment instruments provider Center for Educational Measurement (CEM) on the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which revealed that access to computers and internet at home affects student performance.

According to CEM, around 60 percent of learners who participated in the PISA did not have access to computers and connectivity at home. The proportion of learners without computers and internet is much higher in the lower proficiency groups compared to higher proficiency groups, CEM's analysis points out.

Results of the PISA 2018 showed that out of 79 countries, the Philippines ranked lowest in Reading Comprehension and second lowest in Science and Mathematics.

Gatchalian also pointed out that the COVID-19 pandemic also underscored the need to make distance learning part of the norm to avoid prolonged disruptions to education, especially in times of calamities, emergencies, and crises.

"After this pandemic, laptops and access to the internet are basic requirements to learning. No child should be left behind simply because he or she cannot have access to gadgets and the internet. That's a challenge for our government," said the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture.

"Now the basic question is 'who will pay for it?' because affordability becomes an issue and that's what we are trying to solve right now. I think there is no question that learners should have a laptop and access to the internet now, not ten or fifteen years from now. And we would like to formulate a law wherein we will give every child, every learner a laptop and access to the internet," Gatchalian added.

Data from the Department of Education (DepEd) shows that 87 percent of more than 22 million public school learners are using self-learning modules (SLMs). DepEd admits, however, that the use of SLMs are costly and result in the build-up of waste. The DepEd also reported that some 3.6 million learners have access to the internet while 1.9 million have laptops.

Gatchalian also pointed out that despite the availability of high-quality DepEd TV episodes online, its YouTube channel only has around 59,000 subscribers, which shows the need to reach millions more.

The lawmaker made a similar observation in Valenzuela, which launched the Valenzuela Live Online Streaming School or Valenzuela Live for distance learning. Despite the streaming of videos through Facebook Live, Gatchalian shared that 3,000 out of the expected 10,000 viewers were not able to watch the lessons because of unstable connection and lack of gadgets.

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Gatchalian balak maghain ng batas para mabigyan ng laptop at internet access ang public school learners

Balak ni Senador Win Gatchalian na maghain ng isang panukalang batas na layong magbigay ng laptop at internet connectivity sa bawat mag-aaral sa mga pampublikong paaralan.

Sa nagdaang pagdinig sa Senado, tinukoy ni Gatchalian ang isang pag-aaral ng Center for Educational Measurement (CEM) sa naging resulta ng 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), kung saan lumabas na ang pagkakaroon ng access sa computer at internet ay may malaking epekto sa pagkatutuo ng mga mag-aaral.

Ayon sa CEM, animnapung (60) porsyento ng mga mag-aaral na nakilahok sa PISA ay walang computer at internet access sa kanilang mga tahanan. Karamihan sa mga mag-aaral na ito ay nakakuha ng mababang marka sa PISA.

Ayon sa naging resulta ng PISA, ang Pilipinas ang may pinakamababang marka sa Reading Comprehension o Pagbasa at pangalawang pinakamababang marka naman sa Science at Mathematics sa halos walumpung (79) mga bansa.

Dagdag ni Gatchalian, kailangan nang gawing bahagi ng programang pang-edukasyon ang distance learning upang maipagpatuloy ang edukasyon sa panahon ng mga krisis at kalamidad tulad ng pandemya ng COVID-19 at mga nagdaang bagyo.

"Dahil sa pandemyang ito, nakita natin na ang mga laptop at access sa internet ay maituturing nang pangunahing pangangailangan sa pag-aaral. Walang batang dapat maiwan dahil lang sa wala silang magamit na computer o kaya naman ay wala silang koneksiyon sa internet. Ito ay isang hamon sa ating pamahalaan," pahayag ng Chairman ng Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture.

"Ngayon ang tanong -- saan manggagaling ang pondong gagamitin para dito? Ngayon higit na kailangan ng ating mga mag-aaral ang laptop at internet. Kaya naman nais nating maghain ng panukalang batas upang mabigyan ang bawat mag-aaral ng laptop at koneksyon sa internet," dagdag na pahayag ng senador.

Ayon sa Department of Education (DepEd), halos siyamnapung (87) porsyento ng mahigit dalawampu't dalawang (22) milyong mag-aaral sa mga pampublikong paaralan ang gumagamit ng self-learning modules (SLMs). Ngunit aminado ang DepEd na parehong magastos at nakakadagdag lamang sa kalat ang patuloy na paggamit ng SLMs.

Higit tatlong (3.6) milyong mga mag-aaral ang konektado sa internet habang halos dalawang (1.9) milyon naman ang mayroong laptop.

Napuna rin ni Gatchalian na bagama't may mga dekalidad na videos na maaaring mapanood sa YouTube channel ng DepEd TV, mayroon lamang itong halos animnapung (59,000) libong mga subscriber.

Ganito rin ang naobserbahan ng mambabatas sa Valenzuela sa inilunsad na Valenzuela Live Online Streaming School o Valenzuela Live. Bagama't ginamitan ng Facebook Live ang naturang programa para sa pag-ere ng mga aralin, tatlong libo (3,000) sa inaasahang sampung libong (10,000) mag-aaral ang hindi nakanood sa mga aralin dahil sa kawalan ng gagdets at maayos na internet connection.

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