STI partners with DepEd for

STI Education Service Group (STI) and the Department of Education (DepEd) have partnered for a nationwide program that will enable public high school students become information and communications technology (ICT) literate.

 

"We see the initiative, the Shared Knowledge Program, as a means to keep the digital divide from becoming a 'social ravine' that separates our students from the private schools from those in the public institutions," Department of Education (DepEd) Undersecretary Fe Hidalgo said. The initiative has become part of DepEd's strategy to integrate ICT literacy in the basic education curriculum of public schools.

 

Under the program, 5,000 senior public high school students will participate in a one-day crash course on the basic usage and operation of MS Windows, creation of simple documents using MS Word and Internet browsing.

 

"Basically, the program aims to help the students learn about the computer's proper use as well as how the various applications can make their academic requirements - now, and when they enter college - easier to accomplish," Hidalgo said.

 

The two-month program can accommodate 20 to 40 students per training batch or school, with each session on MS Windows, MS Word and Internet usage taking about two hours. Some of the participating schools include Juan Sumulong, Flora Ilagan, Ramon Magsaysay, Don Alejandro Roces, New Era and P. Bernardo.

 

"We feel that ICT is really picking up in the country. But that is not to say that new technology has become instantly available to all members of society. This is why we feel the seniors from the public schools will benefit most from the program," Hidalgo added.

 

When asked why DepEd partnered with STI, Hidalgo said, "It's all about education. We know through our coordination with the STI Foundation for Leadership in Information Technology and Education, Inc., or STI-FLITE, that STI has a network of over 110 schools and training centers here and abroad. We bank on this network and STI's 20 years in the business to help us achieve our goal of a digital revolution."

 

From access to outcome

 

Recognizing the fact that the government needs the assistance of the private sector in implementing such wide-scale programs, STI rose to the challenge of reaching out to public school students.

 

"What concerns us is making sure the gap between the country's privileged opulent and it's forgotten disadvantaged does not widen, and eventually close. We believe in the Filipino youth, whether they belong to private or public schools, and that is why we make ICT education within reach," STI Network Management Division senior vice president John Tubongbanua said.

 

Tubongbanua added that the program aims to demonstrate that education should be made available for everybody, and not just for a privileged few, in order to arrive at any desired result. "We teach them, yes, but the students make their own success stories. This is the outcome that we dream about with the Shared Knowledge Program."

 

With a track record of 20 years' experience in ICT-centered education, the STI Education Services Group (STI) has developed a comprehensive portfolio of products and systems that ultimately sets the highest levels of service in the industry. The STI Education Network consists of over 110 schools and training centers in the Philippines and abroad, all providing students access to the latest technology resources and solid hands-on training that meets the most stringent standards of academe and industry. As a global provider of quality ICT education, STI has forged long-term partnerships with international certification providers and higher learning institutions, ensuring its graduates are at par with the world's best technical professionals.