Teachers' group urges DepEd to provide gadgets, textbooks in place of printed modules

On Wednesday, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers Philippines challenged the Department of Education (DepEd) that instead of printed modules, the department should provide gadgets or release textbooks to students under the distance learning program. 

Based from earlier reports, DepEd recognizes the current need for printed modules, however, it is hoping and pleaded that schools would be less dependent on printed modules as a way to deliver lessons remotely to students, citing high costs and a negative impact on the environment. 

ACT said that instead of printed modules, the department should provide learners with needed smartphones, tablets, audio file players, and other “gadgets so that modules can be utilized by learners in their digitized format.” 

“DepEd has no one to plead to but itself,” said ACT national chairperson Benjamin Valbuena. 

Nobody wishes to waste ink and paper, especially not the teachers who were burdened with the taxing and costly printing of modules,

he added. 

The group found the DepEd's plea peculiar, as it was the one who decided for the adoption of printed module for learners who have no access to technologies needed for online learning. It contradicts itself with its plan to expend another P1.2 billion to reprint damaged modules instead of using the amount to procure gadgets. 

Valbuena pointed out that the P1.2-billion quarterly budget module printing, which DepEd said is ready for release to replace damaged modules in calamity stricken areas, can in fact procure 200,000 tablet units based on the price at which the Quezon City local government procured tablets for its high school students. 

Procuring gadgets and using digitized module copies will address the problem that DepEd is raising...Other options such as battery-operated audio file players can be used in areas where electricity is not available, the DepEd only has to have the will to implement this, gather as much funds that can be used for this purpose and act immediately,

Valbuena said. 

Furthermore, Valbuena asked why not maximize the use of the readily available textbooks in public schools which has richer contents than the modules that were produced. Saying that DepEd only needs to produce a study guide for students to identify which particular lessons should be studied based on a streamlined curriculum that is appropriate in the pandemic and calamity context. 

ACT said DepEd’s “confusing and fickle statements” on distance learning only shows the glaring unpreparedness of DepEd in implementing distance learning. As the education continues, more problems are arising than resolved issues and it brings much anxiety to teachers. 

ACT is demanding for a more “competent, efficient, and consultative” leadership from DepEd. 

(the one that) listens to the voices on the ground and accepts sound suggestions from all sides.