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TEACHERS Elizabeth Tovera and Juna Mirason from Jose Gonzales Elementary School (JGES), a last-mile school in Benguet, dedicate most of their time to writing lessons on manila papers to use as visual aids for their learners.
CONNECTING THE LAST MILE The Department of Education (DepEd) and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. acknowledge the importance of technology and new media in learning and teaching. PHOTO FROM DEPED
These are the kinds of challenges that last-mile and multigrade school teachers face before the implementation of the Department of Education's (DepEd) Computerization Program (DCP).
Multigrade schools such as JGES combine two grade levels in one classroom. This setup requires teachers to prepare separate lesson plans, visual aids and student records — all previously handwritten and manually computed.
With laptops, tablets and smart televisions now available in their school, teachers can now create visual aids using design software, saving time and allowing them to focus more on lesson planning, which leads to improved student engagement and learning outcomes.
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President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has envisioned the classrooms of the future as a space where learners and teachers are empowered by technology. DepEd has responded to this vision through the DCP.
Ryzza Mae Mayomis, a grade six student at JGES, shared how her tablet has become essential for her assignments and projects. Since acquiring the gadget, she felt empowered to take on her daily classes with just one tap on her screen.
Mayomis said in Filipino, "It greatly helps, especially when we have lessons at assignments that require research. I particularly use the tablet for our science subject."
Aside from making the lives of teachers easier, the DCP's priority is to provide our learners with better access to technology, which enhances the learning experience in schools.
Despite the budget cut for fiscal year 2025, which has gravely affected the DCP, Education Secretary Sonny Angara underscored that the agency is still determined to fulfill DepEd's commitment to connecting schools.
DepEd is currently powering through the delivery of 64,816 laptops and smart TV packages worth P1.913 billion to 16 regions of the country under the DCP program. These packages are set to be delivered to schools by the second half of the year, in response to the reports of 39,972 (69.3 percent) schools with below ideal student-to-device ratios.
As JGES embraces technology in both teaching and learning, the mission of DepEd's Computerization Program comes to fruition — which is for last-mile schools to be connected and their distance conquered. DepEd plans to build on the full promise of the DCP through partnerships with tech companies such as Google.
