State universities and colleges (SUCs) continue to find innovative ways of providing flexible learning options for hard to reach students all over the country.

Commission on Higher Education (CHED) chair J. Prospero de Vera III made this statement during the inspection of Mobile E-learning Laboratory buses at the Siniloan campus of Laguna State Polytechnic University (LSPU) over the weekend, together with LSPU President Mario R. Briones.

“Many SUCs gave students tablets and gadgets so they can join online sessions. What is unique in LSPU is that they decided to bring connectivity to the needy students,” de Vera added.

LSPU converted its regular school buses to e-learning laboratories in preparation for Monday’s opening of classes.

Each bus can accommodate 15 students and is equipped with computers and an internet connection. The buses will be rotated in municipalities where there are LSPU students without gadgets and internet connection due to financial limitations.

The flexible learning options adopted by LSPU include asynchronous systems where students can access and use online materials at their time.

“We have been coordinating with local government units so that we can park these buses and identified students can use the computers for the day. The electrical connection needed to run the equipment and air-conditioning will be shouldered by the LGU,” Briones said.

The hard to reach and financially needy students were identified through the student survey administered by LSPU during the pandemic.

“CHED has been instructing SUCs to open only when they are ready and to exhaust all options to assist hard to reach students for the first semester of the school year 2020-2021. I am happy to see that LSPU is doing this,” de Vera said.

LSPU has campuses in Sta. Cruz, San Pablo, Siniloan, and Los Banos in Laguna. (PNA)