The SIAB expands the learning platform of San Rafael Elementary School where more than 400 students from Kinder to Grade 6 are currently enrolled
PLDT and its wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. together with USAID through RTI International, support early grade learning across schools in northern and central Luzon.
PLDT, Smart and long-time partner USAID, through RTI International, recently turned over one School-in-a-Bag (SIAB) each to San Rafael Elementary School (SRES) in Tarlac City, Tarlac and San Aurelio Elementary School (SAES) in Balungao, Pangasinan.
“Our students who don’t have the means to buy gadgets will have the opportunity to experience online learning through the tablets equipped with learning applications inside our School-in-a-Bag,” said Rodolfo Caceres Jr., San Aurelio Elementary School principal. Around 400 students are expected to return to SAES in August with the school set to conduct limited in-person classes.
“The School-in-a-Bag supports our efforts in ensuring that students, especially those who may not have access to gadgets, will be given the opportunity to continue learning,” said Hilda Dizon, Grade 6 teacher at San Rafael Elementary School.
The SIAB allows students of San Aurelio Elementary School to experience online or distance learning
The SIAB also expands the learning platform of SRES where more than 400 students from Kinder to Grade 6 are currently enrolled. While the school has implemented limited face-to-face classes, it still employs blended learning to reach out to other students.
The School-in-a-Bag is a portable digital classroom that brings learning to last-mile schools and supports the Department of Education’s efforts in improving early grade education. As the flagship education program of PLDT and Smart, each School-in-a-Bag contains a laptop for the teacher, tablets preloaded with #LearnSmart apps making use of the students’ mother tongue and other learning content that can be accessed even while offline including USAID’s All Children Reading eResource, and a Smart LTE pocket WiFi kit which teachers can use to download additional educational materials.
USAID through RTI International is closely working with PLDT and Smart to deploy 100 SIAB packages in hard-to-access areas across the Philippines.
The School-in-a-Bag highlights PLDT and Smart’s commitment to ensure that there is #NoLearnerLeftBehind through Information and Communications Technology, content, pedagogy, and capacity building. These initiatives also underscore the PLDT group’s commitment in helping the Philippines achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG) No. 4 on Inclusive Quality Education.
