DepEd eyes ICT education for out-of-school youth

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Education (DepEd) has forged a partnership with the STI Education Services Group to establish community learning centers in the school’s 36 campuses to provide information and communication technology education for out-of-school youth.

“The bigger mandate of DepEd is to look out for those who cannot be in school, those who dropped out of school, and those who dare not dream of entering a school,” Education Secretary Armin Luistro said.

“The real mandate of the department is to be in search of those who cannot, in one way or another, enter the system,” he added.

Under the partnership, STI will provide space in its 36 head office-owned campuses nationwide to accommodate out-of-school youth who intend to finish their secondary education. The campuses will serve as learning centers of DepEd’s Alternative Learning System (ALS) under the Abot-Alam program.

STI will also provide computer units and other equipment for the conduct of eSkwela, as well as offer assistance or manpower to conduct ALS sessions on information technology.

“We think the time has come for us to really elevate our students not only to be at par with others in the world but to be similarly equipped when they graduate,” STI president Monico Jacob said.

The pilot area learning center will be at the STI Ortigas-Cainta campus.

Earlier this month, DepEd and STI held an orientation meeting for out-of-school youth in Cainta who expressed interest in completing their basic education.

Mobile ICT schools

DepEd also partnered with STI for the development of “Computer Laboratory on Wheels” (STI Mobile School) to provide students with a foundation on computer literacy and to teach them to use basic information and communications technology tools.

STI Mobile School is a complete laboratory with internet access contained within a motor bus. Each mobile computer laboratory has 24 computer units.

DepEd said this partnership will benefit at least 100 public schools and some 15,000 students for the duration of five years.

 “We cannot just deal with the current situation. We cannot just stay in the path that is tried and tested. As educators, we have to take risks outside of the normal confines of where we are comfortable. Sometimes we make mistakes. If we don’t take that risk, we would not have made a difference,” Luistro said.