To ensure that all students in public schools will receive their printed modules this school year, Agusan del Norte 1st District Rep. Lawrence “Law” Fortun sought Tuesday a P10-billion increase in the Department of Education’s 2021 allocation for the printing and reproduction of self-learning materials .
“In terms of funding requirement for 2021 on the self learning modules, this was estimated at about P35 billion if it is to be 1:1. And we were given under NEP 2021 in the amount of P15 billion and additional 5 billion from the unprogrammed fund, so P15 billion po yung nasa assured namin na Deped NEP 2021 and additional P5 billion under the unprogrammed fund,” Sevilla said.
Sevilla said they have identified three funding sources for such initiative: national government fund, which is the GAA; the special education fund ffrom local government units; and the Brigada Eskwela. “Not all learners will be given the printed module,” he said, which alarmed Assistant Minority Leader and ACT Teachers partylist Rep. France Castro.
San Antonio recognized Castro’s concern, even as he noted that in some areas, “we can go as far as allowing four learners to use the modules.”