I first used the Internet more than five years ago, and thus have used it longer than most local users. I've also been working with computers since 1979, again longer than most Filipinos have. I belabor these points so the reader may appreciate that my opinions about computers and the Internet are based on a long period of intimate association and study, and not due to ignorance of the technology or fear of the unknown. I would imagine that quite a number entertain persistent doubts about the educational value of the Internet, but they keep these doubts to themselves for fear of ridicule. The government seems to think so.
Parents are as much a victim of the Internet hype.
In their desire to give their children the best learning opportunities and the best education, they buy the most powerful computer on the market, with the largest memory and harddisk they can afford, and the fastest modem available. I submit that the Internet is, in reality, a very poor educational environment. Let us start with the University of the Philippines, arguably one of the best universities in the country. Let us imagine ourselves in charge of improving the university's educational environment. Behind the College of Engineering, we'll put a row of moviehouses.