ANGARA RENEWS EFFORTS TO MODERNIZE BASIC EDUCATION

Senator Edgardo J. Angara renews his efforts to modernize public schools and increase computer literacy in the Philippines, citing the preliminary report from the Department of Education regarding the long-overdue equipment upgrades in the public school system.

"As the Philippines evolves into a knowledge-based society, the country has to reorient the thrusts of its educational system. This re-routing is necessary to meet the growing needs and demands of a highly competitive world market," Angara explained.

This 15th Congress, Angara is pushing for the School Modernization and Innovation bill, aimed at improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the delivery of basic education in all public elementary and secondary schools in the Philippines.

Among the program's goals are providing usable computers, building computer laboratories and well-equipped libraries to public schools in the Philippines. Regional modernization programs will be tailored to fill the gaps in the provinces' educational system.

However, given the limited resources of the government, there is a need to be cost-effective in financing the school modernization programs. Collaborations with private companies and foundations may be sought to achieve this task.

"Public and private companies have this chance to do a great service for the educational system by lending their resources to our public schools. Providing the teachers and students with the tools they need will be a great boost to this program," Angara said.

More importantly, updating the school's equipment goes hand-in-hand with promoting computer literacy, one of Angara's long-term goals. Angara also authored the Board on Computer Education bill which facilitate the integration of computer lessons into the basic education curriculum of both public and private schools.

"These actions are intended to prepare the Filipino youth to meet the technological challenges of this new country," Angara said. He further explains that it is essential to provide equipment and the necessary skills to our teachers so that they may shape the future workforce.

"New challenges are surfacing in this age of rapid technological development. We must prepare our youth both scientifically and technically so that we can harness their innate talents in attaining our goal of national development," Angara said.