Smart Connects Learners with Digital Classrooms

Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart), the wireless unit of PLDT Inc. (PLDT), has collaborated with the Department of Education (DepEd) to provide access to learners across the country as they log in to digital classrooms. Building on its long-time partnership with the DepEd, Smart supports the agency’s efforts to improve the country’s basic education as it taps Khan Academy, a nonprofit organization that offers free, world-class education, to provide an online platform for learning.

“Smart has always advocated for the right of every Filipino child to quality education. As fellow champions of inclusive and equitable education for all, we fully support the DepEd and Khan Academy in embarking on a journey to strengthen the literacy, numeracy, and creative thinking of Filipino students,” said Kristine A. Go, Senior Vice President for Wireless Consumer Business at Smart.

This landmark partnership provides free, localized curricular content on the Khan Academy platform and offers Smart subscribers complimentary data access to these resources. Effective immediately, Smart prepaid users receive up to 5GB per week, while postpaid subscribers enjoy up to 10GB per month of free access to Khan Academy.

Emphasizing the initiative's significance, Education Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara said: “This partnership is a pivotal step toward integrating technology into our education system, ensuring that quality learning materials are accessible to all Filipino students and teachers, regardless of their location.”

The exclusive data bundles are complemented by Smart’s robust 5G infrastructure. Smart’s mobile network covers 97 percent of the country’s population. The telco has ramped up network rollout and enhancement initiatives to deliver unmatched customer satisfaction through superior connectivity, accelerating business growth while reinforcing our dedication to nation-building, driving progress, and shaping the country’s digital future.

Smart's innovative mobile products and services also contribute to the PLDT Group’s endeavors to narrow the digital divide, provide connectivity to all, and achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) particularly SDG 9 – Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure. These also reinforce the Group’s support for the Government's overall digitalization thrust.

PLDT and Smart leverage technology to bridge learning gaps, especially in hard-to-reach communities. The PLDT Group’s School-in-a-Bag is a portable digital classroom that allows learning in last-mile schools.

The DepEd has, likewise, adopted the PLDT and Smart-backed Central Visayan Institute Foundation Dynamic Learning Program (CVIF-DLP) to stave learning loss in communities that have been impacted by disruptive events like natural calamities and armed conflict.

The PLDT Group’s education initiatives underscore the use of Information and Communications Technology, content, pedagogy, and capacity building to ensure that there is #NoLearnerLeftBehind and its commitment to attaining the UNSDG 4 on Quality Education