In the UK, the days when parents have to make appointments with teachers to follow up on their children’s progress will soon be a thing of the past. By 2010, all secondary schools will have replaced traditional report cards with the new electronic version. And it’s not something that parents will get only at the end of each term. It’s going to be “real time” reporting. And, by 2012, primary schools are expected to implement the same system.
The so called “real time” reporting of pupils’ progress will allow parents to access frequently updated information on achievement, attendance and behaviour “whenever and wherever” they want through school intranets, text alerts, emails or even video conferencing. [The Guardian]
Some teachers fear it will mean more work for them. But for parents, it sounds like the ideal thing. And as I read the various articles, I couldn’t help but wish we could have something similar in the Philippines. But since PCs and internet connection are not affordable for the majority of the population, it seemed like an ambitious dream. But the next piece of news I came across with made my jaw drop. A lot of British families are too poor to have PCs and internet connection at home too. But. BUT The British government is already one step ahead.
[Schools Minister] Mr Knight claimed classrooms were already the best-equipped in the EU but went on: “The next step is home access for all. The digital divide can’t be allowed to reinforce social and academic divisions.”
Schools will get an extra £30million in the next three years to get laptops for pupils who need them and to subsidise broadband access. [Mirror]
Broadband, ha, hindi cheap na dial-up. Imagine that. Just imagine that. If only our government were as responsive.
When we transfer our son to a catholic middle school for college preparatory a few years ago, the grades and all school activities info were done electronically. Actually it was a breeze for the teachers (each has its own subsite) who just post the grades, assignments and upcoming activities. It is more work for the parents as well as students who needs to read all subsites daily. As a matter of fact, my son missed his chance as president for student council when the announcement for the required meeting was posted in one of the coordinators site which we haven’t used before and did not read. We protested but the principal was stickler to the rules. Our son was devastated but we emphasized to him that this is a good early lesson especially going into high school and later college. There will always be tough competition and a spot is won by technicalities and you have to be ready at all times including disappointments.
For those in the US who did not have computers at home, they can go to any public library who has extended hours and free computer time.
Re “…they can go to any public library who has extended hours and free computer time.”
A lot of government offices here don’t even have decent computer systems. One of those times when I really wish the Philippines weren’t such a poor country. And I can only sigh about projects like the ZTE.
Why not “your kids grades sent to you by SMS”? Tutal, we’re the text capital of the world.
“One of those times when I really wish the Philippines weren’t such a poor country.”
That is where the private sector and local politician can be used to do the next thing. Local businesses should adopt a public library and pay for the cost of internet service to maintain continuity of service. Make the Representatives spend their pork barrels on computers (and can put their names at the back of the computer or can publicly announce of the donation if they want publicity). It is another way of putting the public fund back to the society where it should belong.
Em, mahirap yata record keeping pag SMS hehehe
d0d0ng, I cannot count anymore how many scandals there have been about overpricing and padding when local government officials order computers for the munisipyo.
The problem with broadband here is not because we are a poor country per se, but because the price of broadband here per megabit/s is quite high: it is higher than that in the UK and Korea, the latter being one of the most voracious countries in terms of internet access. Yung PHP999 mo 2048 Mbps na sa Korea.
So part of the problem is our greedy local telecom companies. Even our own national domain (.ph) is owned by a greedy company.
Totoo, palaging may eskandalo sa atin. Well, politicians always fill their pockets until we have more good people taking on leadership. But that should not stop the taxpayer’s money spent on good uses like library computers that are very useful for our children, though sadly a trickle due to corruption.
There should be civic partnership with big telecom companies to provide broadband service for the local libraries.