Lapid asks telcos to give free internet access to students, teachers

Senator Manuel “Lito” Lapid called for an inquiry in aid of legislation to determine if telecommunications companies (telcos) can provide free internet access to students and teachers during the ongoing quarantine period.

He noted that many schools from primary to tertiary levels have already resorted to online or virtual classes in order to deliver lessons to students, conduct tests, and provide other educational requirements.

"In this time of calamity and emergency under a pandemic, students and teachers need fast and reliable Internet service. This is the only way we can ensure continuous learning. We know it will take some time before we return to face-to-face or physical classes, so students have to depend on online classes," Lapid said in Tagalog.

Through Senate Resolution 416, Lapid encouraged the use of government-telco partnerships in giving free Internet access for students and teachers. He noted that the Department of Education (DepEd) was able to partner with certain telcos to give teachers and learners free internet access to its DepEd Commons online platform.

He added that free internet will also be necessary for access to online libraries, educational websites and similar digital platforms, especially at a time when physical visits to places such as libraries is not possible.

The DepEd moved the resumption of classes for school year 2020-2021 to August 24. The department said schools may implement online classes and other alternative learning methods instead of a traditional face-to-face classroom set-up. 

Universities and colleges that are able to conduct full online classes can proceed with their program any time while institutions that adopt flexible learning systems can open by August.

"In the next months while COVID-19 is still around, it’s clear that the system of teaching will depend on online classes, online activities, projects and assignments. It means students need fast and strong Internet to keep up with changes in their studies. But how can poor students keep up without free Internet? Even teachers will find difficulty using digital platforms if they have to pay for their Internet access," Lapid added.