Tablets for Quezon City students, internet allowance for teachers

MANILA, Philippines — The Quezon City government has allocated P2.9 billion to provide tablets for public high school students and internet allowance for teachers in line with the plan to shift to distance learning in the upcoming school year.

The local school board chaired by Mayor Joy Belmonte approved the supplemental budget to fund learning materials for more than 430,000 expected enrollees in public schools in the city.

“We are adjusting our budget to ensure that schoolchildren will continue learning despite the shift from traditional to alternative learning modalities,” Belmonte said.

She said the city government would give tablets to over 175,000 junior and senior high school students enrolled in public schools.

Modules, learning packets containing flash drives and additional printed materials would also be distributed to students, particularly those in kindergarten to grade school levels.

Belmonte said a portion of the special education budget would be used for the internet allowance of teachers to address their concerns regarding connectivity under the planned blended system of learning.

According to city education affairs head Aly Medalla, the local government is planning to use part of its special education fund to augment the gadgets that the Department of Education (DepEd) would give to teachers.

“The city plans to provide gadgets to public schools as well as other educational facilities that teachers can share through a shifting schedule,” Medalla said. Janvic Mateo