Make sure the new gadget you buy for your child or donate to teachers and students is up to par with Department of Education (DepEd) specifications. It recently released specs for laptops, desktops, tablet PCs, tablets, smartphones, and internet services.
“These minimum specifications will facilitate the conduct of distance education during the COVID-19 pandemic and such other emergencies in the future,” DepEd Undersecretary for Administration Alain Pascua told MB.com.ph.
Having a gadget with the minimum specs will ensure that the devices would work well with the digital content and software applications that the Education Department will use this school year.
Face-to-face classes are not allowed until there’s a vaccine against COVID-19. DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones previously said students need not buy new devices since there will be printouts to be given out. This year’s curriculum will also use other modes such as radio and television.
According to the DepEd's memoramdum dated June 8, the devices need not have installed Microsoft Office apps. But here are the technical specifications for laptops and desktop computers for teachers and students:
- 1.6Ghz base speed, with turbo speed
- 8 GB RAM memory
- 13-inch screen size
- 512 GB HDD SATA
- speakers
- camera
- wireless and Bluetooth connectivity
- keyboard
- optical or wireless mouse
- headset
For junior and senior high school students, the DepEd recommends 2-in-1 tablet PCs. These are the gadgets that work as a laptop or tablet, with a convertible or detachable keyboard. Here are the specifications:
- 1.1 GHz base clock speed
- 4 GB memory
- 10-inch screen size
- internal storage of 32 GB
- speakers
- camera
- wireless and Bluetooth connectivity
- keyboard
- optical or wireless mouse
- headset
For students in lower grade levels, the DepEd recommends smartphones and tablets. Here are the specifications for tablets:
- 1.3 GHz
- 2 GB memory
- 8-inch screen
- 32 GB storage
- front and rear camera
- Android 9.0 operating system
- WiFi and Bluetooth
Here are the specifications for smartphones:
- Octa-core 2.2 GHz as processor
- 2 GB memory
- 6-inch screen
- 32 GB storage
- front and rear camera
- Android 8.1 operating system
- WiFi and Bluetooth
For internet services, the DepEd requires a minimum of Php500 per month or (10G bandwidth) for teachers and Php300 per month (6GB bandwidth) for students. The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is also coordingting with the DepEd, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and other educational institutions to deploy more free Wi-Fi hotspots.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOWThe DepEd is currently in the middle of a month-long online enrollment and is getting ready for the school year’s opening on August 24. The department had also started the “dropbox” enrollment, or dropping the documents in respective local government units (LUGs) for those who don’t have devices and access to the Internet.
Looking for learn-at-home options and wondering about tuition fee? Head to Smart Parenting Classroom now!
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