Computer funding bleak in Philippines

While most U.S. schoosl scrabble around for funding for new computers, things could be worse. In the Philippines school system, reports INQ7.net there are 25,000 public elementary school students sharing one computer - and the ratio for high school is 111 students per computer.

Philippines Education Secretary Jesli Lapus presented the bleak findings at the second National ICT Congress in Cebu City, Philippines. Lapus stated that the PC-to-teacher ratio in elementary is 1-to-728 while in high school it is 1-to-3. The PCs for Public Schools project started by the Department of Trade and Industry has mitigated the problem in high schools, but not in elementary schools.

There are many hurdles facing the education system in the Philippines, not the least of which is that only half of Filipino students are functionally literate. The Philippines ranked among the four lowest countries in the International Math and Science Survey in 2003

Educational resources are lacking, said Lapus. He hopes that the Department of Education will be getting support from government agencies for an educational master plan and more funding comes soo.

"We cannot talk of a master plan if we do not have a reality check," Lapus stressed.