The Department of Information and Communications Technology is working with Education agencies to provide free WiFi in schools as the country's learning system prepares to shift to a new normal due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This was made known through President Rodrigo Duterte's 11th weekly report to Congress on the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which was released Monday.
The DICT ordered its regional offices to coordinate with the Department of Education and Commission on Higher Education "for the prompt installation and deployment of the Free WiFi Internet Access Service," Duterte's report said.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Tuesday called on the Department of Education to formulate a tuition payment scheme to help parents affected by more than two months of the enhanced community quarantine.
Senator Win Gatchalian is also urging the government to give subsidies that would keep private schools afloat amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
A teachers’ group on Tuesday raised concerns on the low turnout of online enrollment in 14 regions, saying it showed millions of poor children in the provinces would likely be left behind when classes resumed.
The Alliance of Concerned Teachers Philippines made the statement over the 6.4-million enrolment turnout after the first week of June as revealed by the Department of Education. Willie Casas and Macon Ramos-Araneta
The group also claimed that the Department of Education's remote learning programs were moving education farther from poor children's reach and allowing the government to delay or forego building safe schools and resolving the crises in the Philippine education system.
Aside from the government agencies, the DICT would also be coordinating with state universities and colleges and other educational institutions.
The rollout of free WiFi would help schools in their shift to online or digital learning, according to the Duterte report.
In-person classes have been prohibited to avoid exposing students and teachers to the risk of contracting the coronavirus.
Telecommunication companies are also in talks with education agencies and schools to help implement the alternatives to in-person classes.
Several lawmakers and groups have expressed doubts over the plan to implement online learning as an alternative to in-person classes, citing unreliable and unstable internet connectivity in the country.
The Education department earlier said its proposed blended learning scheme would not only use online platforms but also printed modules, radio, and television.
Classes at the basic education level are scheduled to start on Aug. 24.
Colleges and universities may start their school year depending on their learning delivery mode, the CHED earlier said.