Says survey shows only 10% of teachers use government-issued laptops

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines called on the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to distribute the agency’s unutilized laptops and tablets, discovered by the Commission on Audit (COA), to teachers and learners and help ease the deficiency in devices for education.

“Sana ay maipamahagi na kaagad ngayong pasukan ang 866 laptops at 12,482 tablets na nakatambak lamang sa DICT na para naman talaga sa mga guro at mag-aaral. It is frustrating that while gadgets for education are extremely lacking, there are gadgets that only gather dust in DICT storage, and there are outdated gadgets that are bought on exorbitant prices. Kabi-kabila ang kapalpakan ng gobyerno sa pagbibigay ng kailangang suporta sa edukasyon,” lamented Vladimer Quetua, ACT Chairperson.

Quetua highlighted the big deficiency of the government in providing laptops to teachers, citing ACT’s survey on the labor situation of teachers last April 2021. The online, survey which was participated in by 6,732 public school teachers nationwide, showed that 69% of teacher-respondents from the National Capital Region (NCR) use personally-owned laptops, among which 24% are still paying for the laptops on installment basis. In regions outside the NCR, 77% of teacher-respondents are using their personally acquired laptops, with 23% of them still paying for the gadget.

Survey findings furthered that only a small portion of the teacher-respondents are using laptops from the DepEd: 6% in other regions; and 4% in the NCR. Only 2% in the regions use laptops provided by the local government units, while 6% of teacher-respondents from the NCR use LGU-provided laptops. Still 6% of teacher-respondents in other regions, and 4% in the NCR said that they have no laptop to use for teaching and other duties.

“Sa kabuuan, nasa 10% lamang ng mga guro ang gumagamit ng laptop na galing sa pamahalaan samantalang dalawang taon silang pinagturo sa remote learning at tambak ang reports at mga gawain online. Halos sangkapat ng mga guro ang naghuhulog pa sa mga inutang na laptop. Nasaan ang hustisya rito na ang empleyado pa ang gumagastos at nagkakautang para sa mga kagamitan sa trabaho na dapat ay ibinibigay ng employer?” asked Quetua.

“Hindi naman pinabibili ng sariling baril ang mga pulis, o ng sariling computer ang mga empleyado sa opisina, kahit ang mga janitor ay hindi naman pinabibili ng sariling walis, pero bakit ang mga guro ay hindi mabigyan ng kailangang gadget sa pagtatrabaho?” Quetua argued.

Since the start of the implementation of distance learning, ACT has been demanding for the provision of laptop to every teacher.

SOURCE: ACT