Cleantech
Telecom Firm Invests in ICT Education in the Philippines

Telecommunication company Globe Telecom is advocating responsible use of mobile devices in school campuses in the Philippines to leverage advancement in information and communications technology, according to a recent announcement.

While government learning institutions are now adopting the use of ICT materials, the use of digital technologies as a learning tool is not as widespread as it should be, Globe Telecom said.

However, even if technology is available in the schools, children increasingly are gaining access to some devices, as internet-enabled smartphones abound.

This presents a great opportunity for the country’s educational system to adopt the use of mobile devices in enhancing formal education, Globe Telecom said. Such move would also substantially reduce public spending in education and infrastructure and enhance competitiveness of the country’s learning institutions amid global shift towards digitization.

In line with efforts to integrate ICT tools into formal education, Globe Telecom has been implementing the Global Filipino School program for over three years now. The program is a long-term educational initiative that seeks to transform select public schools into centers of so-called “ICT excellence” and provide new high-tech teaching methods.

The program aims to create a center for ICT excellence in schools that exemplify commitment to ICT-integrated education and also create teacher training hubs to increase understanding and effective usage of ICT in the classroom.

In partnership with the Filipino Department of Education and selected public schools, the program involves providing schools with “superior online connectivity,” a Globe Mobile Laboratory package, and 21st Century Teaching Methods using ICT in the classroom.

Selected public schools are utilized as a teacher training hub on ICT excellence in the classroom, for the entire division where the school is located.

First implemented in Bilar National High School in Bohol, the program, based on the school’s report, has generated increased interest of teachers to conduct their lessons, increased student interest towards learning and improvement in the school’s performance in the National Achievement Test (NAT).

Currently, the program is being implemented in 11 different schools located in various parts of the country. By next year, the Global Filipino School program hopes to be present in all 18 regions nationwide, and cover 60 DepEd schools divisions.

Investment in ICT education could have a big economic payoff for the Philippines — the ICT sector is expected to explode in coming years as the Internet of Things (IoT) takes root around the world. And all of this will go a long way to helping sustainability become mainstream. Future improvements in information technology will lead to greater transparency, with sustainability reporting moving fully into the digital realm and occurring in real-time instead of annually, according to a paper by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). GRI also recently released a tool to help promote human rights in supply chains across the world.