Gloria wants all public schools connected to Internet

President Arroyo has ordered Education Secretary Jesli Lapuz to make sure that all public schools (primary to tertiary) are connected to the Internet so that students will have a deeper grasp of the world around them and upgrade their knowledge and appreciation of global developments.

At her last stop at the Sto. Tomas Public School in Barangay Sto. Tomas, Sasmuan, Pampanga last Thursday, the President said even if schools have only one computer connected to the Internet, that will go a long way in enhancing the education of the students.

While interviewing a third year high school student who plans to take up engineering in college, the Chief Executive suggested that schools operate the computer lab like an Internet Café during off-hours or vacation to raise funds for the improvement of other facilities.

The President said the funds could then replace the fees that were ordered scrapped so that parents will not be burdened with so many donations and contributions.

She pointed out that the Internet is vital to enhancing the education of students since it gives them updated knowledge that are not readily available from books and other reading materials alone.

As a former teacher, the President said education is her top priority. She wants the learning experience of today’s children be better than that of the older generation.

The President launched last Wednesday the 2009 Stimulus Fund for School Building Repair and Construction Program in Districts 2 and 4 of Pampanga with P60 million going to the provinces of Lubao, Guagua, Sasmuan and Porac. Another P50 million went to the construction, repair and rehabilitation of classrooms in the fourth district to include Macabebe, Masantol, Apalit, Sto. Tomas, Minalin, San Simon and San Luis.

The P3 billion Stimulus Fund from the General Appropriations Act of 2009 was boosted with an initial P500 million last month by the President during her visit to Guagua. Of the total, 20 percent is for the rehabilitation of flooded schools in the two districts of Pampanga.

The President and Lapus distributed coupons that will serve as the entry of some public school high school students to private schools to decongest public high schools in the country.

Lapus said although the teaching quality in public school system is now approximating those of private schools as a result of the upgrading of salaries of teachers and hiring of new ones, there is still a need to improve the student-teacher ratio by providing the coupons that will serve as scholarship certificates of those to be transferred to private schools.–PNA