DepEd, DICT sign agreement to strengthen delivery of education

Two government agencies have teamed up to strengthen the delivery of education through digital connectivity of all public schools and wider access to learning platforms amid the COVID-19 crisis.

Signed last Friday, the agreement between the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) aims to establish the Public Education Network (PEN).

The partnership will lay down the framework of cooperation between DepEd and DICT, including advocacy for the presence of ICT service providers in public school premises, provision of online resources, materials, and systems for educational use, and coordination with the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), among others.

The DICT will also assist in augmenting the future satellite capacity of DepEd for Last Mile Schools and in providing data transport service using a fiber-optic network under the GovNet and Microwave towers.

The two departments will also determine suitable real estate properties owned or under the administration of DepEd for use as sites or locations for the Shared Passive Telecommunications Tower Infrastructure (SPTTI) that will let government agencies share resources and technologies for the benefit of Filipinos.

The PEN will also connect DepEd offices to governance platforms such as the DepEd Enterprise Resource Planning System (DERPS), the Learner Information System (LIS), the DepEd Mobile App, and other partner platforms.

“This partnership is designed not only to deal with COVID but really to deal, not only with the present, but also with the future,” Education Secretary Leonor Briones said in a statement.

“When the government decided to open classes amid the public health emergency, we recognized the need for education to continue, despite the limitations imposed by the ongoing health crisis. We believe it is imperative to look beyond these immediate concerns to what may be possible for education on the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic,” added DICT Secretary Gregorio Honasan II.

The pandemic forced the Philippines to shift to distance learning this academic year, which includes the use of modules supplemented by broadcast and online classes. — Virgil Lopez/RSJ, GMA News