MANILA - Makati has converted 400 of its public school classrooms to "smart classrooms."

Makati Mayor Abby Binay said this Saturday, as the local government sought to incorporate technological advances to its own educational facilities.

Around 200 touchscreen whiteboards equipped with an Android operating system, WiFi, and multi-gesture writing features were distributed.

Around 119 are for elementary schools, and 81 are for secondary schools. They also have microphones for video conferencing.

"We aim to incorporate IoT (Internet of Things) devices into 400 smart classrooms and expand this initiative in the near future," Binay said.

"Our goal is to continuously provide quality education and modern instructional resources that meet the demands of the 21st century," Binay added.

Tablets will also be distributed to students, and unlimited internet will be available inside the classrooms.

There will also be charging stations inside, and notebook tablets for students to submit their activities.

For the local government, this will ease the load of teachers in assessing performance.

This approach will save time, decrease paperwork, reduce teachers' administrative burdens, and allow more time for student-centered activities and the development of teaching strategies and innovations in their smart classrooms," Binay said.

Orientations were also given to around 692 public school teachers from October to November 2023.