One million DepEd teachers, staff to get Google Workspace for Education Plus

The Department of Education (DepEd) has partnered with Google to provide one million Filipino educators and staff with Google Workspace for Education Plus accounts, marking a significant step in modernizing the country’s public school system.

Key Highlights:

• DepEd to distribute 1 million Google Workspace for Education Plus accounts
• Expanded digital tools to improve teacher workflows and student learning
• AI-powered assistant, Google Gemini, to support education innovation
• Google Meet, Classroom, and originality reports to enhance instruction
• Globe (Innove Communications, Inc.) partners as a local Google reseller

In a statement, Google said this initiative aims to enhance digital learning, streamline workflows, and improve collaboration among teachers and students.

The upgraded Google Workspace for Education Plus suite offers advanced tools beyond the previously used Education Fundamentals, which DepEd has relied on since 2012. The new solution includes Gmail, Classroom, Meet, Calendar, Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Forms, along with expanded Drive storage and AI-powered assistance through Google’s Gemini.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara emphasized the importance of equipping educators with digital tools.

“Empowering our educators involves fostering a culture of innovation and providing the right tools,” he said. “By equipping our teachers and staff with advanced digital capabilities, we're laying the groundwork for critical thinking, collaboration, efficiency, and creativity in our schools. We extend our sincere thanks to Google for taking us to the forefront of educational innovation.”

The transition to Google Workspace for Education Plus will introduce several key benefits for teachers and students:

• Improved digital worksheets for subjects like math and English
• Enhanced originality reports, checking plagiarism across billions of webpages and 40 million books
• Google Meet integration, allowing teachers to conduct remote classes efficiently
• Real-time student performance tracking, enabling adaptive teaching strategies
• Advanced security features to safeguard educators and students from cyber threats

Google for Education Asia-Pacific, Europe, Middle East and Africa head Colin Marson highlighted the initiative’s impact.

“Education is the cornerstone of individual potential, economic growth, and a more equitable society,” he said. “Google is committed to scaling Google Workspace for Education in classrooms, empowering educators with user-friendly and secure tools that help students reach their full capabilities. We're honored to collaborate with the Department of Education, supporting their mission of educational innovation.”

Globe Telecoms’ Innove Communications Inc. also plays a key role as a Google Workspace reseller in the Philippines, supporting the deployment of the new accounts.

With this initiative, DepEd underscores its commitment to integrating technology into education, ensuring that teachers have the necessary tools to foster a more innovative and collaborative learning environment for students.

To learn more about Google Workspace for Education, visit Google’s official site.

— Edited by Daxim L. Lucas