ISPSC iSchools Terminal Report

ISPSC iSchools Experience  Terminal Report

FOREWORD

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) has pervaded almost every strand in the fabric of society. The global economy today is driven by knowledge. Those who have access to information and make good use of ICT are the most productive and powerful. It is therefore the role of educational institutions, especially basic education, to prepare and enable the learners in the vital skills for this knowledge economy.

The Department of Education advocates the use ICTs as “a powerful enabler of capacity development… targeted towards specific development goals like ensuring basic education for all and lifelong learning, among others.” In support to the DepEd’s advocacy, the Information and Communications Technology Office (then the Commission on Information and Communications Technology) initiated the iSchools project in 2006 to help establish a Philippine educational system that maximizes the use of ICT in learning.

For its role in the ICT literacy, the Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College became a partner of ICTO in the implementation of the iSchools project in its service area. ISPSC implemented the iSchools project for three funding years (2006F, 2007F and 2009F) and completed the implementation of iSchools in twenty-seven (27) public high schools in the provinces of Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte, and in some parts of La Union, Pangasinan, and Abra.

Brief summary of the report

This report gives a detailed account of the experiences and observations of the Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College during the implementation of the iSchools Project.

The Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College was one of the partner SUCs of ICTO (then the CICT) in the implementation of the iSchools Project in Region 1 and Abra for the three implementation years (2006F, 2007F and 2009F).

The contribution of ISPSC to the iSchools project benefitted twenty-eight (28) recipient high schools: nine (9) in Ilocos Norte, thirteen (13)  in Ilocos Sur, three (3) in La Union, two (2) in Pangasinan, and one (1) in Abra. Each of these schools received an iSchools Wireless Internet Learning Laboratory (iWILL) equipped with top of the line PC server, PC workstations, printer, scanner, multimedia projector,  wireless network, and air conditioning units. The schools were also provided one year Internet subscription, and registration for a domain name.

Teachers and selected students of the recipient schools were also provided a series of training on computer and Internet literacy, laboratory management, website development, and library management, to ensure that the ICT equipment were used in teaching, learning, and school management. The school administrators and key stakeholders (parents representative and LGU representative) also prepared and implemented sustainability plans to ensure the continuous operation of the iWILL after the assistance from the project was terminated.

In the project closeout, the recipient schools voiced out several issues and concerns in experienced in their respective schools such as the lack of Internet connection or slow Internet connection, repair of non-functioning equipment, high power cost, overloading of teachers assigned to manage the iWILL, and unfamiliarity and distrust for open source software. The recipient schools also recommended for the conduct of more ICT trainings, technical assistance, and more financial assistance.

Several cases of theft of equipment were reported in three recipient schools. In two schools, the computer units in their respective iWILL were taken. The incidents were reported to the Police and investigation is still ongoing (as of the writing of this report). In another school, several units of computers were reported to have been taken by a staff of the Congressman who recommended for the inclusion of the school in the project. The incident was referred to the Congressman, however the computers were not yet returned.   

Among the issues encountered by ISPSC during the implementation of the iSchools project, the following had profound effects: delay of fund release, conflict with COA Auditors regarding disbursement of funds, natural disasters that caused postponement of some training/workshops, Internet connectivity problems, and reshuffling of school principals. However, these issues were resolved and managed properly at the ICTO level (Auditor’s orientation, conference with DepEd) and at the ISPSC level (rescheduling of component activities, dialogue with school administrators, DepEd  Division officials, and LGU).

As an implementation partner, ISPSC also received an iSchools laboratory (WILL) for its laboratory high school. Other benefits derived for the college included the capability building of the staff who were sent to several training and certification exams, equipment acquired, and income derived for hosting several training rollouts. The name of the college was promoted and advertised in the different high schools. Indirectly, the linkage forged by the college with other SUCS and the ICTO, as well as the recipient schools and LGUs brought opportunities for development of new programs and collaborative endeavors. 

Overall, the iSchools project implementation by ISPSC achieved most of the objectives set. The success of implementation was attributed to the strong support given by the ISPSC administration, the involvement of the DepEd at the Division level, the commitment and adaptability of the ISPSC iSchools project team, and the close collaboration with the recipient schools.

The iWILL in the recipient schools were established, all the training/workshops were conducted, and many students and teachers became ICT-literate. The recipient schools are well on their way to bridging the digital divide.

b.              Recommendations

In the light of the issues raised by the recipient schools and the experiences of the ISPSC project management team, the following recommendations are offered: a) To determine the impact of the iSchools project among the recipient schools, an impact assessment study should be undertaken, possibly financed by ICTO; b) A viable solution for the Internet connectivity of recipient schools which were not connected with Internet due to inaccessibility of an ISP should be initiated; c) To ensure the cooperation and understanding, there should be proper coordination with all the agencies involved in the project; d) For smooth and effective implementation, and to avoid delays in the implementation, there should be timely release of funds; e) To ensure objective evaluation of the project, an external entity for monitoring and evaluation should be contracted; and f) A similar computerization project should be designed for public elementary schools.