MANILA, Aug 4 — The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has donated educational materials to the Department of Education (DepEd), which the latter will provide to Marawi and and San Fernando, La Union.
The materials, which include computer tablets, student chairs, plus a scale model and design of a typhoon-resistant school building, aim to provide a continuous quality education in calamity-stricken areas.
DepEd said a total of 6,500 chairs would replace those that were destroyed as a result of the ongoing armed conflict in Marawi City.
The scale model and design, on the other hand, was developed by USAID as part of its post-Yolanda assistance. DepEd can adopt the designs in areas affected by calamities.
USAID Philippines Office of Education Director Brian Levey said the US government shared DepEd’s goal to continuously improve the quality of education for students throughout the Philippines.
DepEd Undersecretary Alain Pascua said he discussed with DepEd Education Facilities Division (EFD) the introduction of new school building designs for 2018. Classrooms would be elevated and built in flood-prone areas, he added.
Meanwhile, DepEd cited that as part of the ICT for Reading initiative under Basa Pilipinas, 370 tablet computers will be turned over to the City Division of San Fernando. This will benefit 26 schools, 60 Grade 3 teachers, and about 1,700 pupils.
Basa Pilipinas Deputy Chief of Party Ces Ochoa said the tablets would be loaded with PDF copies of all Basa Pilipinas-developed Grade 3 level materials in English and Filipino, and an interactive reading application that analyzes use of tablets to support students’ literacy and learning.
DepEd also eyes to utilize the use of ICT in reading in formulating the agency’s programs, such as the use ICT materials in teaching. (Ma. Cristina C. Arayata/PNA)
