DepEd-NCR plans to shift to digitalized lessons accessible via smartphones

Educational officials said that they are hoping that public school students living in Metro Manila will only depend on printed modules until the second grading.

Photo credit: lookupgrade.com

On Friday, during an online media briefing, Malcolm Garma, director of the Department of Education-National Capital Region, said that self-learning modules are not sustainable. 

Garma said that DepEd-NCR plans a gradual shift to digitized lessons which could be accessed through smartphones, because printed modules are costly. Also, there are issues in sorting and distribution of the modules, as well as the heavy workload it brought to teachers.

We have already identified software platforms that we can adapt na pwede natin ipasok sa cellphone. So walang tablet, walang laptop, we can maximize the cellphones,

Garma said.

[We have already identified software platforms that we can adapt which could be installed in cellphones. If there’s no tablet, no laptop, we can maximize the use of cellphones.]

Garma's suggestion is possible since the local governments in Metro Manila are giving away gadgets to students and teachers. Many LGU's had donated free laptops, tablets and other gadgets to public school teachers and students for them to use in the DepEd's blended/distance learning.

Over 22 million kindergarten to high school students have so far enrolled in public schools, including around two million in Metro Manila. All public school divisions in the region have exceeded last year's enrollment numbers as thousands transfer from private schools due to the impact of the health crisis.

Also, the Department of Education (DepEd) assured that late enrollees will be accepted immediately if they choose to enroll in public schools. Those who have missed the enrollment period from June 1 to July 15 will still be able to register for this school year. However, those who will register late might have to wait for further instructions from the teachers or the school on how they will proceed with their classes.

DepEd is still encouraging parents who haven't enrolled their children yet to enroll this school year for the continuation of their studies through the late enrollment policy.