The Department of Education announced that they are considering replacing the controversial outdated and overpriced laptops that it issued to teachers last year.
A few days ago, it’s been reported that the Commission on Audit flagged DepEd’s Php2.4 billion laptop purchase in 2021 as the said machines were apparently overpriced for the features they offer.
As per DepEd spokesperson Atty. Michael Poa, if the laptops in question were proven to not pass the required quality, they will go after a “quick fix” or seek the warranty provision of the said products.
“Tingnan natin kung mabagal talaga. Kung meron tayong quick fix within the department para matulungan iyong mga guro, gawin na natin. But that’s the first course of action,” Poa said.
Poa said that they will also push a legal course of action.
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The education department added that, for its 2023 budget, they are looking to add provisions that will provide public school teachers with additional marketing materials, which would include gadgets.
DepEd also expressed the need to fix the issues regarding the laptop complaints before classes resume on August 22.
Poa explained that the flagged laptops, which costs Php58,300 per unit, were bought using the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan 2) to help teachers transition to distance learning due to the health crisis.
“This was not an original program of the DepEd. Although, siyempre, gusto natin i-digitize iyong ating teachers noon because andiyan iyong COVID, maraming lockdown, remote iyong schooling. That was the purpose of the laptops,” Poa explained.
The spokesperson reiterated that it was the PS-DBM’s responsibility to procure the laptops. Hence, they are waiting for the PS-DBM to explain the laptops’ pricing and quality to COA.
A group of representatives from the Makabayon Bloc is looking to investigate the controversial laptop purchase in aid of legislation, to which the education department is willing to participate.
Via: Inquirer.net
They were overpriced, but they just need to swap in a SSD to replace the HDD. The celeron is a new chip, look at benchmarks.