Public school teachers to get free computer training

Starting this school year, hundreds of public school teachers in Parañaque City will have an opportunity to become computer literate after a private computer school and Vice Mayor Anjo Yllana agreed to offer free computer courses this summer break.

Yllana announced that the Datamex Computer Center will provide computer crash courses starting next month to all elementary and high school teachers. Those who will enroll, he said, will not have to pay tuition.

He said the vice mayor’s office came up with the project and tied up with Datamex after several teachers asked for help in enrollment to a private computer school.

Public school teachers told the vice mayor that they cannot afford private computer schools.

They admitted that most students now are more skilled in computers than teachers.

To help the teachers, Yllana met with Datamex officials last January.

Under the agreement, the vice mayor would pay for all the expenses of the enrollees.

Interested teachers can now fill up forms at the vice mayor’s office.

Datamex is now accepting early enrollees on a first come first serve basis, he added.

Parañaque Councilor Val Sotto said this summer computer study program for public school teachers is the first in the country being initiated by an elected local official and a private computer school.

"Apart from the additional knowledge in information technology, this would also mean additional credentials for their future undertakings," Yllana explained.

Since 1999, some 6,000 school students have completed Datamex courses through the vice mayor’s Tikboy Foundation.

Recently, an additional 480 scholars of the foundation finished different computer courses while another 300 new students are now being screened for this coming school year.