Students cutting classes to play online games may have to play hide-and-seek instead with monitoring teams from the Department of Education (DepEd).
According to dzBB radio, DepEd secretary Mona Valisno has ordered a tighter watch on Internet cafés, particularly those in school zones, during class hours.
Valisno said the DepEd has received many reports of students cutting classes and spending their time online instead, playing online games or dabbling in social networking sites such as Facebook and Friendster. More worrisome, she noted, are the students who would visit pornographic sites.
Valisno appealed to owners of Internet cafés not to allow students –especially those still in uniform– to spend time in their establishments, especially during class hours.
The DepEd’s move coincides with efforts by local government units to regulate Internet shops in time for the opening of classes on June 15.
In Iligan City, for example, dzXL radio reported that city authorities are tightening regulations on Internet shops to discourage students from playing hooky. The Iligan city mayor’s office also ordered inspections of the Internet shops to see if they have the proper business permits.
