KIDAPAWAN CITY, Cotabato Province (PIA) — The Department of Science and Technology and the Department of Education forged an agreement to strengthen science and technology in public schools in Kidapawan City.
Recently, the two agencies signed a memorandum of agreement to install the Science and Technology Academic and Research-Based Openly Operated Kiosks, or STARBOOKS, in all DepEd schools in the city.
Kidapawan City has 40 barangays with 53 elementary schools, 16 public secondary schools, and eight integrated schools.
The agreement also aims to capacitate teachers and students in science literacy.
Michael Ty Mayo, the provincial director of DOST in Cotabato, stated that DOST XII, under the leadership of Regional Director Sammy Malawan, aims to enhance the educational experience in Kidapawan City by implementing the digital library in a box.
“After the MOA signing, our next step is to identify schools with existing computer units and assess the units’ compatibility for the installation of the technology,” Mayo stated.
The STARBOOKS, developed by the DOST-Science and Technology Information Institute, are a compiled set of digitized science and technology information and knowledge stored on a computer for use in schools and communities, mostly located in remote areas.
Mayo said that schools can use this digital library even without internet access.
The 2022 Civil Service Commission’s Presidential Lingkod Bayan Award commended STARBOOKS’ innovation and significance, recognizing it as the national winner.
It is also part of the National Economic and Development Authority’s National Priority Plan, which prioritizes programs, projects, and activities in the areas of education, health, youth and sports development, human settlements, science and culture, and economic development.
After the installation, Mayo added that they will conduct capacity-building training for teachers to equip them with knowledge on how to use the STARBOOKS technology.
The DOST believes that the partnership with the DepEd Schools Division Office of Kidapawan City is a welcome development in prioritizing science literacy and education.
Meanwhile, Schools Division Superintendent Miguel Fillalan Jr. expressed optimism that the collaboration with DOST will give students the opportunity to improve their learning experience in science and technology.
“STARBOOKS is a powerful repository of updated, relevant, and interactive digital learning resource materials in science and mathematics, which will ultimately improve access to and quality of basic education among learners in far-flung and hard-to-reach schools,” he said.
According to Fillalan, the DOST’s technological learning resource and development system is revolutionizing basic education in a progressive, inclusive, and innovative way.
He said that this science innovation is relevant for students to be on par with other schools, not just in the Soccsksargen region but at the national level as well. (SJDM – PIA Cotabato City)
