Internet connectivity for teachers, students

Norman S. Alvarado

As part of its efforts to innovate the delivery of education in the country amid the pandemic, the Department of Education earlier sealed a partnership with Converge ICT Solutions Inc. and Pacific Kable Net.

The tripartite Memoranda of Agreement (MOA) with the telecommunication firm and its affiliate cable company has paved the way for the use of their fiber connectivity and cable channels at no cost to the DepEd to ensure the delivery of digital learning materials to learners.

With some degree of hope, it is possible to connect with each other, or talk with the principal or superintendent, or pupil in any classroom, in any school, in any part of the Philippines with the use of technology.

The DepEd is thankful for its partners from the private sector who are willing to help out. The agency needs all the help that is available, especially considering the number of learners who need assistance in internet connectivity.

The MOA aims to support DepEd’s Public Education Network (PEN) and promulgate DepEd TV and DepEd Commons to continue supplementing the learners’ self-learning modules (SLMs).

The agreement will also push forward the Public Education Network (PEN) that intends to provide all DepEd offices and public schools, especially those in far-flung areas, with accessibility and connectivity.

This deal has made all of DepEd’s learning platforms such as DepEd Commons, DepEd TV, DepEd Learning Management System, and Learning Resources Portal (LR Portal) available for disadvantaged and marginalized communities. Aside from providing access to the Department’s online learning resources, the PEN will also allow DepEd Offices nationwide to access platforms in aid of governance such as the DepEd Enterprise Resource Planning System (DERPS), the Learner Information System (LIS), the DepEd Mobile App, and other partner platforms.

After officially sealing the partnership, connectivity and accessibility have now become realities, connecting the disconnected, and ensuring that no Filipino learner will be left behind, officials said.

Converge, for its part, noted that the company, together with local government partners, commits to bridge the glaring digital divide in education in the country, which the COVID-19 pandemic revealed, in order to help the Department reach its goal of providing quality education to Filipino learners.

Converge officials are pleased to be in partnership with the Department of Education in making online education more accessible to learners struggling to adapt to the blended learning model due to lack of resources.

Pacific Kabelnet is also thrilled to deliver the education programs of DepEd through its cable channels, which is a way of using television to support the blended learning approach for public school students amid this pandemic.

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is Teacher III/Coach at Marcelo H. del Pilar National High School