DepEd mulls AI use in schools

THE Department of Education (DepEd) on Thursday said that it is studying to expand the use of artificial intelligence (AI) within Philippine schools.

“We are studying the possibilities of (AI) because we are seeing that teachers are benefiting from it, and there are benefits to students as well,” Education Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” M. Angara told reporters on the sidelines of a forum organized by the University of the Philippines.

He said that DepEd is also planning to upgrade the connectivity of about 40,000 schools to the electric grid.

“AI needs good power, good bandwidth. So, we have to ensure that these systems can handle the technology of the future,” he added.

For next year, the education department is seeking to electrify about 2,000 schools, which forms part the agency’s modernization goals.

He added that the department is also planning to procure about 47,000 e-learning carts with about 40 computers.

“This is to save precious classroom space. DepEd has evolved the concept of a computer lab into a cart filled with laptops and other gadgets that can be moved from room to room,” he said.

Additionally, Mr. Angara said that the department is also seeking to address cheating and plagiarism cases from the use of AI tools.

“We really have a policy there… If the teacher says that it is forbidden to use AI, it should be respected,” he added.

He said that there are also programs available that police students from using AI tools in classrooms, which teachers can utilize.

“If students are up to date, teachers should also be up to date,” Mr. Angara said. — Adrian H. Halili