Gatchalian seeks to strengthen digital education

Following the recognition of "Valenzuela Live" as an outstanding local governance program at this year's Galing Pook Awards, Senator Win Gatchalian reiterated the need to accelerate the adoption of technology in the delivery of education.

Valenzuela Live or the Valenzuela LIVE Online Streaming School utilizes Facebook Live to stream classes amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Valenzuela City School of Mathematics and Science (ValMaSci) serves as an off-site classroom, while information technology (IT) moderators and technicians provide support to teachers. The city government also distributed tablets to support learners who don't have devices to watch these videos.

To strengthen digital education in the basic education sector, Gatchalian emphasized that recovery efforts should prioritize closing the nationwide digital divide. He also pressed the need for teacher education and training to ensure readiness for online learning.

To help foster universal access to the internet, Gatchalian filed Senate Bill No. 2250 or the Satellite-Based Technologies for Internet Connectivity Act of 2021.

The proposed measure seeks to allow government organizations, public and non-profit private institutions, and volunteer organizations engaged in education, health, finance, agriculture, environmental management, climate change management, disaster preparedness and crisis response to own and operate satellite-based technology to aid and augment their activities.

The 2019 National ICT Household Survey reveals that 82.3% of households do not have access to the internet. A report from The Asia Foundation pointed out that 74 percent of public schools in the Philippines remain unconnected to the internet.

"Nakita natin ngayong panahon ng pandemya na ang teknolohiya ay dapat maging bahagi na ng ating sistema ng edukasyon. Kaya naman sa ating pagtaguyod sa pagbangon ng sektor ng edukasyon, ating tiyakin na bawat mag-aaral at guro ay may access na sa internet upang magamit sa kanilang pagtuturo at pag-aaral," said Gatchalian, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture.

Gatchalian also bats for learners' free access to the Department of Education's (DepEd) learning platforms. Under Senate Bill No. 2355 or the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program Act, which Gatchalian filed to establish a national learning intervention program, Public Telecommunication Entities (PTEs) will be mandated to provide free access to all of DepEd's learning platforms, including online educational platforms, digital libraries, and other online knowledge hubs without any additional financial burden to learners, teachers, para-teachers, and volunteer tutors.

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Gatchalian: Digital education sa bansa dapat patatagin

Matapos kilalanin ang "Valenzuela Live" bilang isang outstanding local governance program sa Galing Pook Awards ngayong taon, binigyang diin ni Senador Win Gatchalian na dapat palawigin ang paggamit sa teknolohiya pagdating sa edukasyon.

Ang Valenzuela Live o ang Valenzuela LIVE Online Streaming School ay gumagamit ng Facebook Live sa pag-ere ng mga klase sa gitna ng pandemya ng COVID-19. Nagsisilbing off-site classroom ang Valenzuela City School of Mathematics and Science (ValMaSci) habang nagbibigay ng suporta sa mga guro ang mga information technology (IT) moderators at technicians. Nagpamahagi rin ang pamahalaang lungsod ng mga tablets sa mga mag-aaral na walang sariling gadgets para mapanood ang mga naturang videos.

Upang mapatatag ang digital education sa bansa, kinakailangang matiyak na ang buong bansa ay konektado sa internet, ani Gatchalian. Kailangan din aniyang tiyakin na pagdating sa teacher education at training, ang kahandaan para sa online learning ay dapat ding tutukan.

Inihain ngayong taon ni Gatchalian ang Senate Bill No. 2250 o ang Satellite-Based Technologies for Internet Connectivity Act of 2021. Sa ilalim ng panukalang batas, ang mga government organization, public at non-profit private institutions, at volunteer organizations na may kinalaman sa edukasyon, kalusugan, pananalapi, agrikultura, environmental management, climate change management, kahandaan sa mga sakuna, at pag-responde sa mga krisis ay papayagang magmay-ari at magpatakbo ng satellite-based technology para sa kanilang mga aktibidad at programa.

Ayon sa 2019 National ICT Household Survey, 82.3% ng mga sambahayan ang hindi pa rin konektado sa internet. Ayon naman sa isang ulat ng The Asia Foundation, hindi pa konektado sa internet ang 74% pa ng mga pampublikong paaralan sa bansa.

"Nakita natin ngayong panahon ng pandemya na ang teknolohiya ay dapat maging bahagi na ng ating sistema ng edukasyon. Kaya naman sa ating pagtaguyod sa pagbangon ng sektor ng edukasyon, ating tiyakin na bawat mag-aaral at guro ay may access na sa internet upang magamit sa kanilang pagtuturo at pag-aaral," pahayag ni Gatchalian, Chairman ng Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture.

Isinusulong din ni Gatchalian ang libreng access sa mga learning platforms ng Department of Education (DepEd). Sa ilalim ng Senate Bill No. 2355 o ang Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program Act na inihain ni Gatchalian para sa learning recovery, magiging mandato sa mga Public Telecommunication Entities (PTEs) ang pagbibigay ng libreng access sa mga learning platforms ng DepEd, kabilang ang mga online educational platforms, digital libraries, at iba pang online knowledge hubs para sa mga mag-aaral, mga guro, mga para-teachers, at mga volunteer tutors.

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