To boost learners’ readiness for the jobs of the future, Senator Win Gatchalian is urging the Department of Education (DepEd) to enhance their proficiency when it comes to artificial intelligence (AI).
Gatchalian pointed to a finding by the 2023 World Economic Forum (WEF) Report, which revealed that 60% of surveyed Filipino companies reported proficiency in ‘AI and Big Data’ as their priority in upskilling and reskilling in the next five years.
“The jobs of the future will demand AI proficiency, and our learners must be ready. Ang mga trabahong darating ay nangangailangan ng bagong kasanayan—at kung hindi natin ihahanda ang ating mga mag-aaral ngayon, maaaring mahuli tayo sa takbo ng pandaigdigang ekonomiya,” Gatchalian said during the launch of the Education Center for AI Research (E-CAIR).
“AI must be integrated to create innovative solutions, policy interventions, and strategic approaches that ensure an enabling learning environment, the welfare of teachers, the well-being of learners, efficient learning delivery in all its forms, and a future-ready workforce,” Gatchalian added.
He emphasized, however, the need to bridge the digital divide so that AI in education can become a tool for inclusion and not a tool for further exclusion. As of May 2023, only 63 percent of elementary schools, 71 percent of junior high schools, and 68 percent of senior high schools under the DepEd have internet connectivity.
Data from the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) also revealed that six out of ten Filipino learners attend schools where principals reported a lack of digital resources (63%) and inadequate or poor-quality digital resources (63%), including desktop or laptop computers, internet access, learning management systems, or school learning platforms.
To address challenges, Gatchalian filed the Digital Transformation in Basic Education Act (Senate Bill No. 383). Under the proposed measure, the DepEd in collaboration with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) shall ensure the adoption of digital technology for the continuous delivery of basic education and the digital transformation of the basic education system.
