Could AI mean fewer class suspensions? DepEd launches new risk tool

National

FROM satellite images to school-level risk data, the Department of Education (DepEd) is harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) to help officials make more targeted calls on class suspensions during calamities.

DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara yesterday led the launch of the Learning Institution Geohazard Tracking and Assessment for Safety (LIGTAS+), a platform that combines AI, satellite imagery and geospatial analytics with school-level risk data.

The platform is designed to turn fragmented hazard updates into real-time, actionable intelligence for education leaders, giving them more detailed information on risks affecting individual schools.

“We cannot solely rely on our resilience, especially when it comes to education. We have to make sure that our schools are prepared, ready to respond and ready to move forward with learning, whatever challenges may come,” Angara said in a Philstar report.

The new platform is meant to address the learning disruptions caused by class suspensions during calamities. The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) reported that millions of learners lose more than 30 school days a year due to class suspensions.

DepEd said LIGTAS+ will support the assessment of hazards at the school level, providing education officials with data that can help inform decisions on school safety and the continuation or suspension of classes.

By integrating hazard information with location-specific school data, the platform is intended to provide a more detailed basis for responding to calamities while supporting learning continuity.(MyTVCebu)