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Cotabato
City, February 20, 2005 -The "right" revolution is taking
place in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao against ignorance
and neglect. The battlefields are the classrooms of public high
schools throughout the ARMM and neighboring conflict-affected
areas in Mindanao. At least some of the population, probably the
majority, understand what is important for the future of this
troubled region.
In
more than a hundred schools, teachers and students are striving
to overcome years of neglect by expanding computer literacy and
using information and communications technology to prepare young
adults for the challenges of higher education and the world of
work.
At
the forefront of this "right revolution" is the Computer Literacy
and Internet Connection (CLIC) Program, which is being implemented
by USAID's Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program.
Equalizing
Opportunities
"CLIC's
work is intended to provide a foundation of information and communication
technology (ICT) in the region," explains "Happy" Raagas, the
CLIC Manager who oversees the implementation of the program.
The
CLIC Program began in 2003. In just 18 months, it has provided
106 schools in the ARMM with access to the Internet and, if necessary,
the computer hardware to enable students to tap the vast array
of educational resources that can enrich their classroom experience.
What makes this commonplace fact so remarkable is that the majority
of the children had not even seen a computer in their school or
home or punched the keys of a computer keyboard before CLIC and
similar programs were initiated.
This
disparity makes Happy very un-happy.
"The
bottom line is we want the allocation of these computer and information
resources in Mindanao to give young adults here the same opportunity
as their cohorts in other regions," she says. CLIC's assistance
to schools always includes an Internet connection, and may also
consist of computers, a local area network (LAN), an Internet
connection, and training on basic computer maintenance and troubleshooting
for teachers and Parent Teacher Community Association (PTCA) members.
According
to Michael Langsdorf, GEM's Deputy Program Manager for Education
and Governance, CLIC's focus on information and communications
technology was a strategic choice, based on the realization that
GEM's objectives were economic, focusing on trade, investment,
jobs and income.
For
most education programs to succeed in much of Mindanao, Langsdorf
observes, implementers must be prepared for a "sustained effort,"
which may take years before tangible results are achieved.
However,
the immediate infusion of computer technology and access to the
Internet is a way to overcome the chronic shortage of learning
materials by taking advantage of the enormous range of resources
that are available free (through computers and the Internet) if
access to them can be facilitated," notes Mr. Langsdorf.
Impressive
Results
Based
on feedback from students and teachers at its recipient schools,
CLIC's work is bearing positive outcomes:
In
Bongao, Tawi-Tawi, Fatima and her classmate Farouk are busy browsing
a website on Physics. "This makes research easier and a lot more
fun," says Fatima. The pair is among the 700 students at the Mindanao
State University's (MSU) Preparatory High School in Bongao who
are now connected to the World Wide Web via a CLIC-funded satellite.
Over
at the Parang National High School in Parang, Maguindanao, high
school students are using the Internet for their term papers.
"You rarely see a computer not being used, especially during the
third and final grading period when students do research for their
term papers," says student Fatmah Magondato.
Meanwhile,
at the Pikit Elementary School, students are conducting research
through the Internet. The real freedom fighters - teachers - have
initiated a computer training program for 400 students in grades
4 to 6.
"The
computer is faster than a book," says sixth grader Rey Luque.
"Although I love books, you have to sift through many things in
a book to find what you need. With a computer, you just enter
a 'search' command and it appears."
The
Selection Process
Happy
explains that schools must meet a number of criteria to qualify
as CLIC recipients.
Usually,
schools will be situated in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
(ARMM) or other conflict-affected areas in Mindanao. The school
must have access to electricity. They must provide a room to be
used as the computer lab and must designate one or two teachers
to manage the lab and assure that it is getting maximum use.
"At
the beginning of the CLIC Program, we were trying to sell the
concept of Internet access as the key link to knowledge," says
Raagas. "Now principals or teachers who have heard about the CLIC
Program travel to Davao City, CLIC's base of operations, to inquire
about the program and submit their applications."
And
even the lousy telephone services in most of Mindanao is not an
obstacle.
"We
originally thought that we could connect schools through a dial-up
connection. This is the cheapest and easiest way to connect a
computer to the Internet because all you need is a telephone line.
That's how it is done in most of the world and even in other parts
of the country. But to serve much of Mindanao, we had to switch
to satellite and microwave connections to make it possible to
access information, given the unreliability of telephone service,"
Raagas says.
Currently,
CLIC connects most of its schools to the Web via wireless broadband
or if not through satellite. The cost of going high-tech has its
price, says Raagas. CLIC spends around $5,000 to $6,000 per school,
depending on the number of computers provided and the type of
connection used. "You know when you put kids first…not some silly
beauty pageant…you're willing to spend whatever it takes."
Ensuring
Sustainability
A
critical aspect of maintaining the CLIC installation is for schools
and the community to generate revenues to pay for an Internet
connection, power, and the replacement of expensive computer parts,
as necessary. This provides a chance for Parent Teacher Community
Associations (PTCA) and local businesses to raise funds to pay
for the Internet subscription after the first year, when the CLIC
operating subsidy ends.
"It
is very important for all parents, regardless of their income,
to be proactive in laying the foundations of their children's
future. Asking them to commit to pay even P10 to sustain the Internet
connection will ensure the long-term benefit of the project for
the school and the community at large," Langsdorf says.
CLIC's
strategy of enlisting the participation of PTCAs is already paying
off:
At
the Marawi State University Preparatory High School in Tawi-Tawi,
a CLIC recipient, the school's Parent-Teacher Community Association
(PTCA) convinced many parents to pay P500 yearly per student.
"In
this school, paying the P500 annual fee per student is essential,"
says PTCA President Magsaysay Warble, adding that "Considering
that fund-raising activities are limited in this school, we appealed
to every parent."
At
the Pikit Elementary School in Maguindanao, another CLIC recipient,
parents pay an additional P50 a month for the school's computer
program, which cover basic key-boarding skills.
The
school's PTCA president Jaime Gornez doesn't mind paying the additional
fee as long as this will improve the chances of his children to
getting jobs after they graduate from high school. "Even if students
don't pursue a 4-year college course, they can still be employed
if they have can learn data-entry skills," he said.
Partners
Happy
empasizes that the CLIC Program probably would not have been as
successful if it had not demanded the support by parents and enlisted
the support of other organizations as partners.
One
such partner is ConnectEd.ph, a consortium of Manila-based corporations
and foundations that supports the placement of information technology
in Philippine public high school system. Four of the first schools
connected by CLIC were undertaken in partnership with ConnectEd.
Another
reliable CLIC partner is STI, which is providing training to teachers
on Microsoft applications and basic Internet operations.
CLIC
also worked closely with the Ayala Foundation (AFI) and the DTI-implemented
PCs for Public Schools (PCPS) Project. That partnership has connected
42 schools to the World Wide Web. The partnership is a "50-50"
arrangement, in which all networking and Internet connections
costs are shared equally by both parties. The computers were provided
by PCPS.
CLIC
also recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with
Intel to lower the unit cost of computers, thereby enabling CLIC
to connect more schools for the same annual budget. Under the
agreement, Intel will also provide advanced training to teachers
from CLIC schools.
Microsoft
Corporation allows the GEM Program to purchase Microsoft Office
for only $2.75 compared to its original price of $410. GEM is
the first non-government entity to be granted this privilege since
it is recognized as an ally to schools throughout the conflict-affected
area and generates no profit from this activity.
"We
are open to any partnership as long as it will further enhance
delivery of educational services to students, teachers and parents,"
says Happy.
Looking
Ahead
"If
sheer number are the measure of success, CLIC has been successful.
I don't know of any other program that has connected this number
of schools to the Internet in so short a time," she notes.
But
she is quick to observe that it is still too early to tell the
extent of the program's impact on the lives of its beneficiaries
or if it has involved parents as true "consumers" of educational
services. "What we are really trying to do is provide students
with the skills needed to get good jobs. We would also like to
see teachers using the CLIC resources creatively to add substance
to the curriculum and promote learning and creativity," Happy
says.
As
more and more public schools in the ARMM benefit from increased
access to the Internet, CLIC comes closer to its goal of bridging
the digital divide within the region and linking the region to
the global information community.
For
his part, Langsdorf believes that "CLIC actually is helping to
build an electronic community where everyone can be connected
through the touch of a button or the click of a mouse. Teachers
are only limited by their experience, imagination and availability
of resources." (Luis Mendoza, Jr., GEM Program)
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