Philippines ICT Policies and Strategy
Moving towards global competitiveness through ICT utilization in education
The Philippines has begun to re-conceptualize the policies and strategies of ICT in education towards life-long learning, in its Information and Communication Technology Plan. With IT involved in education as an enabling and productivity tool that will enhance learner performance, educational efforts will be re-focused on the requirements of the learners and the job market through ICT.
Initiatives on the Use of Information and Communication Technology
DepEd initiatives on the use of ICT in education were embedded in the DepEd Modernization Programme, begun in 1996, involving the introduction and use of modern technology to improve the teaching and learning process, educational management and support operations in the educational system.
The 1996 General Appropriations Act (GAA) laid the grounds for the provision of IT equipment in public secondary schools, providing the necessary funds for the procurement of hardware and software, teacher training and courseware development. Six hundred sixty-one public secondary schools and more than seven thousand secondary school teachers and principals benefited.
Vision and Mission of the 21st Century Filipino Learner
The Government believes that basic education should "evolve and nurture an ICT framework designed to enhance, broaden, strengthen and transform learning to develop the Filipino learner into a person who is excellence-driven, global in perspective, innovative, ingenious and creative, with a deep sense of community and concern for harmony and the common good."
Toward this vision, basic education must empower learners, equipping them for the challenges in the new millenium by improving the quality and accessibility of education through the use of appropriate ICT.
Goal and Objectives of the Information and Communication Technology Plan
The Philippine government believes that to foster lifelong learning skills in learners, educational development with a principal focus on quality and access should form the core of its ICT programme. In pursuit of this goal, the sector shall strive through the use of ICT to achieve the following objectives by 2009:
Provide the physical infrastructure and technical support necessary to make information and communication technology accessible and useful to students, teachers, administrators and support staff
Develop competence in the use of the technology and in the design, production and use of ICT-based instructional materials
Ensure access to the latest developments in ICT and to support research and development
Undertake a curriculum improvement programme focused on the integration of technology
Promote the use of appropriate and innovative technologies in education and training
The operational targets for these are as follows:
75% of public secondary schools and 50% of public elementary schools shall have a computer lab equipped with basic multi-media equipment
All public science-oriented secondary schools shall be connected to the internet
All public schools shall have an electronic library system
75% of the public school teachers will have been trained in basic computer skills and in the use of the internet and computer aided instruction (CAI)
All public schools shall be provided with appropriate educational technology equipment packages
New Zealand has the world's highest access to telecommunications per capita, with the cost of accessing the Internet being almost as low as it is in the United States. Research shows that New Zealanders are usually quick to embrace new technology. New Zealanders have been buying computers, signing up to Internet Service Providers (ISPs), and going online at an internationally impressive rate.
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Strategy for Schools, 2002-2004 has been developed in consultation with schools, researchers, tertiary education providers, businesses, and others. It builds upon the achievements of the 1998 strategy (Interactive Education: An Information and Communication Technologies Strategy for Schools) and the lessons learnt from it. The ICT strategy recognises that to focus on technical skills alone is to limit the vision of ICT in education. Rather, the focus must be on extending and deepening educational experiences (and on sharing those experiences) to work towards further developing an innovative and thriving society.
The Second Information Technology in Education Study (SITES), an international research project New Zealand participated in, and The Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in Schools Survey was undertaken by the Information Technology Advisory Group (ITAG) and involved over three hundred schools. Research findings and feedback indicate that no single model will ensure that ICT is used to its greatest effect in every school. However, some key insights have emerged, useful in guiding the future developments of all countries:
Vision
The vision is:
for all students, irrespective of their backgrounds,
to develop the knowledge, understandings, skills, and attitudes
to participate fully in society,
to achieve in a global economy,
and to have a strong sense of identity and culture.
Goal
The broad goal of the ICT strategy is:
to enhance the development of
students' knowledge, understandings, skills, and attitudes
through the appropriate and effective use of ICT.
No comments:
Post a Comment