CyberEd: DepEd lying about project's reach
Take a close look at this page taken from DepEd's slide presentation on the controversial Cyber Education Project.The DepEd pegs the benefit of the CyberEd to 90% of all public schools or 37,794.
But the page also says that only 26,618 will actually be given the project equipment. The additional 30% of elementary schools will benefit through "clustering."
What does this mean exactly?
Schools in far-flung barrios will have to merge with "nearby" CyberEd enabled schools to watch the "live-via-sattelite-no-commercial-break" lecture from DepEd studios.
If pursued, this scheme will tend to make education less accessible to youths in the rural areas, which, as it is now, are already required to travel several kilometers by foot to their schools.
Either that, o binobola lang talaga tayo sa 30% na yan.
Important facts that should be noted:
>Contrary to initial perception, the CyberEd will not install a TV set per classroom. Each school will only be given 4 TV sets, 2 computers and other equipment. To let you try to visualize how this will work, Ramon Magsaysay High School, a public high school in Manila, has around 7,000 students.
>While the project promises to include internet connection as a bonus, project proponents say that the internet speed will be "lower than broadband." In some presentations, even "optional." This is highly questionable for a project that will cost a fortune. And to think that they wanted this program to have a separate "backbone" from the National Broadband Network and all other ICT projects.
Simply freaking ridiculous.
Source: ACT Chair Antonio Tinio's BK2 CyberEducation Briefer
Related:Primer on the CyberEducation Project
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