By Lily Gut IMUS, Cavite - The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines slammed, in a press release on Sunday, the Department ...
IMUS, Cavite - The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines slammed, in a press release on Sunday, the Department of Education for the delayed distribution of P53 million worth of gadgets to Cavite teachers, as reported by the Commission on Audit (COA). According to the group, these lapses were a major reason why the state was unable to overcome the learning crisis.
ACT found that teachers in Cavite schools have waited anywhere from 12 months to 19 months for the devices that were meant to aid in the implementation of distance learning, despite the fact that this delay has had a profoundly negative impact on the educational opportunities available to both teachers and students in the province.
"Because of this delay, the teachers were not able to benefit immediately from the supplies and equipment that would have been helpful for them. This was a big inconvenience, especially since they failed to take advantage of having laptops as the school year was about to end," said Vladimir Quetua, chairperson of ACT.
According to the Commission on Audit's 2022 annual audit report, the reason laptops were late in arriving to teachers in Cavite was because of significant delays in the submission of purchase requests and other procurement processes by the DepEd Division Office.
COA noted significant delays in the posting of the procurement opportunity and the actual distribution of the gadgets to faculties in their 2022 Cavite audit report, as well as in the submission of the purchase request from the DepEd division office's base of operations.
ACT asserts that the slow rollout of technology to teachers in Cavite's public schools is a major factor in the country's ongoing inability to resolve its education crisis.
According to the group, it is important for the government to prioritize the needs of teachers and students to ensure that they have access to the necessary resources for effective teaching and learning. Failure to do so could have long-term consequences for the country's educational quality.
In the recommendation of the COA to the government of Cavite, they are required to launch adequate measures to ensure the proper acquisition and provision of school supplies and equipment to avoid delays in the future.
Meanwhile, the provincial government of Cavite has stated that they have ensured the evaluation of the gadgets' technical specifications, and will continue to take the appropriate steps to guarantee that all necessary equipment is made available without delay.
During the pandemic, news of the DepEd's purchase of outdated and expensive equipment worth P2.4 billion spread across social media, prompting criticism from a range of industry sectors.
To prevent similar incidents from happening again, the DepEd has implemented stricter guidelines and protocols in the procurement process, including the involvement of third-party auditors to ensure transparency and accountability. With these measures in place, the DepEd hopes to provide quality education to Filipino students through modern and reliable equipment and supplies.
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