Computer age, solar power reach remote public schools

The Department of Education (DepEd) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on Friday led the inauguration of the computerization and solar power project of public schools in Luzon at the Bagong Bayan Elementary School in El Nido, Palawan.

Last month, the project in Basilan was also successfully launched.

DepEd said that around 4,000 un-energized public schools in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs) in Luzon and Mindanao “have started to receive their Information and Communications Technology (ICT) packages in the past two months.”

An estimated 600,000 school children will thus have access to laptops powered by solar energy this year.

DepEd said that this is part of the continuous efforts to expand ICT literacy to advance quality education – one of the 17 Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) committed by global leaders in 189 countries.

One of the targets is to substantially increase the technical and vocational skills of the youth on ICT by 2030.

“If used correctly, ICT will improve our teaching methods. It will create new learning opportunities and develop critical think- ing, making our students more innovative not only in solving community problems but also in facing global challenges,” said DepEd Undersecretary for Administration Alain Del Pascua.