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The
Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) on Monday deemed
the Cyber Education (CyberEd) Project of the Department
of Education (DepEd) as a “white elephant” that will
only burden taxpayers.
“We’re
already working with House members who share our views
on the matter,” said ACT chairman Antonio Tiñio as his
group urged an investigation into the project.
Tiñio
said the project aims to set up television production
and satellite broadcasting facilities in the DepEd’s
central office and satellite-based facilities in 26,618
schools throughout the country.
Under
the project, each school will be provided with one
multimedia classroom with four TVs, two personal
computers and one printer.
Fifteen-
to 20-minute-long classes taught by “excellent master
teachers” in all subjects for all year levels will be
broadcast live via satellite to all the schools on the
system’s 12 television channels.
The
project will be rolled out over a three-year period and
funded by a loan from China worth $465.5 million, or
P26.48 billion.
“Cyber
education suggests computer-based learning via the
Internet. However, the DepEd’s project will have nothing
to do with computers or the Internet. Essentially, it’s
nothing more than television-based instruction delivered
via satellite. They’re using the ‘cyber education’ label
as a marketing ploy to give it a high-tech or
cutting-edge appeal,” Tiñio said. He added that the
project would not even give public schools access to the
Internet.
“The
Cyber Education Project will connect schools in an
intranet, but will not provide them with Internet
access. Imagine spending half a billion dollars and our
students don’t even get access to the World Wide Web.”
ACT
cited the following reasons for opposing the project:
1.
It fails
to address the roots of the problems in basic education,
noting the decline of enrolments and low achievement
levels are rooted in worsening poverty and chronic
underspending on education;
2.
Expensive technology is used inappropriately, for while
experiences here and abroad have proven that technology
can be used effectively to bolster the delivery of
quality education, this is not the case with the Cyber
Education Project.
TV-based instruction delivered via satellite is touted as a
“one-size-fits-all” solution to be imposed on all
schools regardless of the actual needs and conditions of
each throughout the archipelago.
It should also be pointed out that the same educational
content (15- to 20-minute lessons by the best master
teachers) can be delivered through much cheaper
“playback technology” (i.e., DVD players and VCDs/DVDs)
rather than through live satellite broadcasts;
3.
It’s a
gross misallocation of limited funds. A mind-boggling
amount of money—P26.48 billion—will be spent on a single
project, the effectiveness of which has not yet even
been proven.
No studies have even been made at all regarding the
effectiveness of TV-based instruction in basic
education.
On the other hand, investment in more teachers and classrooms
to reduce class sizes, high-quality teacher training
programs and upgrading the economic status of teachers
are proven and time-tested ways of improving the quality
of education. This is where the money should be spent;
4.
It lacks
transparency. ACT questions the legality of the contract
upon which this project is based. According to news
reports, the Cyber Education Project was signed by Trade
and Industry Secretary Peter Favila in behalf of the
Department of Education and Dr. Kang Ke Jung of Tsinghua
Tongfang Nuctech Co. as part of the ICT Cooperation
between China and the Philippines in Boao, China on
April 21, 2007. |
