In a survey released in 2008 by the Wi-Fi Alliance, nine out of 10 students in say that free Internet access is as important to education as classrooms and computers. Nearly three of five say that they wouldn’t go to a college that doesn’t have free Internet access. Furthermore, at least 79 percent students stated that college would be more difficult without having a free Internet access. This statistical record shows that free Internet access in every college or university is an important factor. Students can use their computer to store important assignments and other documents, and they can conveniently keep in touch with their friends and family.
We challenge you to find any higher education course today that does not require the use of Internent. Have you scouted for one? The best source of reference – Internet, it is a pool of informations accessible 24/7. Unlike, 20 years ago, students find it hard to research. They have to scan books, flip the pages of an encyclopedia.
Here in the University of the Philippines Mindanao, a number of students sacrifice their meals saving it instead just to be able to make projects that are to be done and passed online. In UP Mindanao, students pay Php 260 worth of Internet fee good for 20 hours to be consumed within a semester. With this amount of money, you can already eat 3 times a day in a week. Big deal especially for students who study with empty pockets, but this step asks for more budget allocation from the national government knowing that state universities like UP Mindanao do not generate funds. This only means that pushing such issue, we need the government’s sincere support.
To sum it up, free unlimited Internet access should be available in UP Mindanao, and, hopefully, to other colleges or universities in the Philippines too. In that way, education will be for everybody, and students’ school performance would not be limited for 20 hours only.
Letigio, Clyde
Edaño, Renze
No comments:
Post a Comment