COA Reports Problems with DepEd’s Defective Tablets

In 2022, the Commission on Audit (COA) reported issues with tablets supplied to the Department of Education (DepEd) in the Philippines. These tablets, worth over PHP 116.7 million, were delivered between August and November 2021 to schools in Batangas. Problems included unresponsive screens and swollen batteries.

The COA criticized the allocation of these devices to non-teaching staff with administrative and supervisory roles, questioning the appropriateness and necessity of such distribution. In response, DepEd asserted the effectiveness of these devices in supporting distance learning, highlighting their use in video lessons, activity sheets, and self-learning modules accessible online.

DepEd emphasized the importance of embracing technology in classrooms to advance future learning environments. However, the auditors suggested that directly issuing these devices to public schools would have been more beneficial.