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| Here’s a 21st century classroom models now open to learners of the Burgos Agro Industrial School, the only secondary school in Burgos, Ilocos Norte, and the Burgos Central Elementary School. These classrooms are equipped with high-tech gadgets fitted for digital natives. (Lei Adriano) |
By Leilanie G. Adriano
Staff Reporter
Burgos, Ilocos Norte—At least two state-of-the-art classrooms equipped with high-tech learning gadgets for digital learners are now in place in Burgos, Ilocos Norte, a fifth-class municipality which hosts the largest wind farm in Southeast Asia.
Funded through the municipality’s Special Education Fund tax, a 1% levy on the assessed value of real properties, the Burgos government led by the town’s longest-serving mayor, Rodolfo Garcia decided to pour in the funds for its young learners.
“Our children [are] our future. Our investment in education is our way of expressing our love to them so that they will grow and develop their maximum potential. During our time, many of us cannot read and write. Unlike us, we do not want our children to be left behind,” said the 79-year-old Mr. Garcia, the oldest mayor in Ilocos Norte and the first mayor in the province who approved the utilization of the town’s SEF for the construction of the pioneering modern classroom in Region 1.
Mr. Garcia said it is a great pride and honor for a very small community like Burgos to have this kind of learning facility which could have not been materialized if not with the full cooperation of the people and authorities of the Department of Education and the Department of Science and Technology who assisted in implementing the project.
Worth PHP4 million each, the 21st century learning environment models are located at the Burgos Agro Industrial School, the only secondary school in the municipality and the Burgos Central Elementary School.
The two air-conditioned classrooms are equipped with four computer kiosks and personal computer desktops, 50 tablets, robotic kits, 10 units mini drones, 3D filament, 3D printer, interactive projectors, visualizer/document camera, Knex build model, Wi-Fi connections, augmented reality check, Wi-Fi printer and connectors.
During its formal inauguration on May 27, 2019, attended by students, parents and school heads in Region 1, Josephine Pascual, principal of BAIS said, “It was a dream come true for all students and parents” to have a modern classroom facility in their school.
Gladys Garcia, a teacher of BAIS who demonstrated some of the unique features of the classroom shared her excitement to teach her students using the augmented reality cards and other gadgets available at the school.
Following the inauguration of the 21st century learning environmental model in Burgos town, Ilocos Norte Schools Division superintendent Vilma Eda challenged other schools in the province to come up with an educational breakthrough like the one in Burgos town to boost the education system.
“If we want transformation, we really need to give up a lot. Our salute to Burgos for making it happen. I know they sacrificed some projects just to have this. May this inspire all of us to level up and we wish Burgos more progress in the future,” Mrs. Eda said as she bared Batac City was the first initiator of the project but it did not materialize for some reasons.
As counterpart, the Schools Division of Ilocos Norte shared more than PHP600,000 raised through an ICT fund raising drive for the establishment of a satellite connectivity in Burgos town.
For his part, Regional Director Malcolm Garma of the DepEd Regional Office has lauded the efforts of the Ilocos Norte schools and the local government unit of Burgos to boost the learning experience of young Ilocanos.
‘It takes a lot of sensitivity, commitment and dedication to invest on our children and make education work for our citizenry. I hope there will be more in the future,” he said citing the Burgos government should be emulated for making taxes work which motivates more people to pay their taxes religiously.
Mr. Garma admitted that resources for education is too limited but with the help of all stakeholders, there is opportunity in scarcity.
“Let us engage our stakeholders, make partnerships and make entire community work for our children,” he added as he noted teachers must adopt to digital education transformation or else young learners will perish.
“Let’s admit, our children are more intelligent than us. Let us guide our children to use technology properly, not to destroy humanity but to bring peace,” Mr. Garma underscored.