Recently, the Elementary Department of De La Salle University launched the E-Classroom or Electronic Classroom. The concept is very basic, instead of carrying overloaded bags in going to school because of so many books, the comfort of bringing a much lighter tablet computer has been introduced. Take note, De La Salle is piloting this E-Classroom.
In the public school system, the Department of Education launched its program “The School of the Future” in the 90’s. After almost two decades, we don’t know what happened to this program. Well, new programs for new DepEd Secretaries.
In Singapore, the teachers and students have already abandoned the traditional chalk and board way of teaching, tablet computers are everywhere in their system. Most of the countries in the European community have already gone to this digital literacy system.
Back in the Philippines, our present educational system is still confronted by perennial basic problems like classroom and teacher shortage. Apparently, we’re still very far from achieving total and complete digital literacy system where the teaching-learning process is supported by the high tech gadgets like computers, especially those who come from depressed and far-flung areas. That remains to be a dream. Anyway, dreaming is for free.
On top of these, the present administration believes that to be able to achieve high quality education, two more years must be added in the basic education cycle. Two more years will mean more classrooms, facilities and teachers, apart from the backlog we have in the number of classrooms and teachers in the present.
Well, we still hope for a better educational system despite the many obstacles we are facing. But the government should learn how to prioritize things. Which is which, the two more years in basic education or advancing the digital literacy system? Or both? We don’t think so because there are still more problems along the way that need to be resolved first.
By: Suzette S. Legaspi, Tomas Pinpin Memorial Elem School
