ON THE SUSPENSION OF CYBER EDUCATION PROJECT...

"Malacañang's move to suspend the ZTE and Cyber Education Project (CEP) at this point is rather belated. The Supreme Court has already issued a restraining order on the ZTE broadband deal, while CEP's suspension only prolongs the verdict on this very expensive education project: Will it be scrapped altogether, or will the government revive it later on when the issue on this broadband deals die down?"

"There seems to be a contradiction of sorts between the current budgetary limitations experienced by the DepEd and the proposal to implement a cyber-education project to cost PhP 26B. Our own rough estimates show that it would take some P25B just to address the shortages of school buildings, desks and chairs and teachers. This does not include upgrading of school facilities and infrastructure, expanding GASTPE, placing more funding for teacher training and other key areas needed for uplifting the quality of education in the country."

"We do not question the power of technology in promoting learning, but it's as if we're already investing on high-end accessories for a car that doesn't even have an engine yet. We cannot shortcut our way to solving the problems in education. If we are serious about cyber education, the realistic approach to this is to pilot test first and assess the benefits vis-�-vis the cost. There is, obviously, a need to revisit our priorities and identify our limits in the education sector, lest we keep on biting off more than we can chew."