With the passage of time, ICT equipment will gradually become obsolete. This is a reality that will affect thousands of computer units currently housed in the laboratories of the public school system.
The iSchools Project of the Commission on Information and Communications Technology took a step towards addressing this trend by successfully concluding its PC Maintenance, Recycling, and eWaste management training-workshops. Thirty-two State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) nationwide implemented this training-workshop in their localities. The following aspects underlie the program:
Objectives of the PC Recycling Project
The objectives of the PCR are to build the technical skills of teachers that will strengthen their ability to maintain their own computer laboratories.
Skill-building of teacher-participants are geared towards enabling them to -
- Identify parts of computer system that may be needing service or replacement
- Trouble shoot basic computer problem
- Proper disposal of electronic wastes
- Apply creative recycling and reuse of non-serviceable parts into creating instructional material
- Draft an eWaste management plan for the school
- Participate in the online electronic depot whereby schools can exchange information as to the availability of parts that can be leased/sold to schools needing them
Under the program, the public high schools that were beneficiaries of different computerization projects were given the chance to participate in this iSchools initiative.
In fact, 1,392 teachers and school personnel representing 360 public high schools have already participated in the 10-day training program. As a result, an additional 512 computers resulted in a 67% revival rate of defective PC units used as laboratory materials. Through this initiative, electronic waste is minimized and value for money of computer equipment is maximized.
“Many High Schools have computer laboratories, but due to old age and continuous use, these computers are bound to breakdown and malfunction,” claims iSchools Project Manager Toni Torres.
“We have to do something so they can continue using their computers as tools for teaching and learning. This training is our answer to the wear and tear of computers,” she added.
The training is designed in phases. The first phase teaches the basics of computer systems, basic electronics, and troubleshooting. The next phase focuses on the actual troubleshooting, repair and maintenance, software installation, and a little of networking. The last four days are focused on eWaste management and proper disposal of electronic waste. It also includes a session on creative recycling, in which unusable parts are made into educational materials (mostly CPU parts) while the rest are converted through creative use.
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