Wider coverage of free Wi-Fi in public schools pushed | Inquirer News
measly 1.8% coverage

Wider coverage of free Wi-Fi in public schools pushed

By: - Correspondent / @melvingasconINQ
/ 05:44 AM December 25, 2022
Sherwin Gatchalian STORY: Wider coverage of free Wi-Fi in public schools pushed

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian (File photo from the Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian on Saturday expressed optimism for better coverage in the coming year through his revived proposal to accelerate the installation of free Wi-Fi in public schools nationwide.

Gatchalian, chair of the Senate committee on basic education, hopes that his Senate Bill No. 383, or the Digital Transformation in Basic Education Act, will improve the low free Wi-Fi coverage in schools, which has covered only 860 of the country’s 47,421 schools nationwide, or a measly 1.8 percent coverage.

ADVERTISEMENT

According to the senator, the lessons that the pandemic taught policymakers should become a yardstick for what the Department of Education needs to catch up on in providing students free internet access.

“If we look back at what the pandemic taught us, it would be how vital internet technology has become in continuing education, especially in times of crises,” he said.

FEATURED STORIES

He said part of the thrust in trying to achieve stability in education is to ensure that schools get free internet access to ensure the delivery of quality education.

Gatchalian earlier lamented how the free public internet dashboard showed a low completion rate five years after the Republic Act No. 10929, or the Free Internet Access in Public Places Act, was passed into law.

He said the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the digital divide among learners, which mostly affected students in poorer households.

Gatchalian cited a 2021 survey on low-income households by the World Bank, which revealed that only 40 percent have access to the internet.

The same survey also revealed that 95.5 percent of these poorer households used paper-based learning modules and materials, he said.

RELATED STORIES

Bill pushing free Wi-Fi in all schools filed

DICT on Sulu, Tawi-Tawi projects: ‘Now, we have free wi-fi in all 81 provinces’

DICT rolls out free Wi-Fi in Zambales schools, hospitals

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

Read Next
Don't miss out on the latest news and information.

Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer & other 70+ titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download as early as 4am & share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.

TAGS: free Wi-Fi
For feedback, complaints, or inquiries, contact us.
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

News that matters

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.



© Copyright 1997-2023 INQUIRER.net | All Rights Reserved

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By continuing, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. To find out more, please click this link.