The next Congress under the incoming Aquino administration should pass legislation that seeks to integrate computer education into the curriculum of students in as early as the elementary level.

This was stressed Tuesday by Sen. Edgardo J. Angara, a former University of the Philippines (UP) president, who said his computer-related Senate Bill 909 seeks to prepare the Filipino youth to meet the technological challenges of the new century.

"In our efforts to recover from lost economic grounds, our people needs to be updated on the latest advances in technology. The youth must be scientifically and technically prepared to fully tap their inner talents and contribute to national development," Angara, a former Senate president, said.

Angara said his bill also seeks to promote computer literacy by including basic computer applications and programs in primary schools, with the aim to produce highly-skilled workers in programming, digitally-aided design, hardware, networking and software development.

The bill comprises, among others, three important factors: First is the creation of the Board of Computer Education, which will asses, supervise and monitor the accreditation of schools; provide the curriculum for computer-aided logic, math and science education in the elementary level; and monitor overall performances of the schools and the students.

The bill, likewise, seeks to promote the Build-Operate-Transfer scheme of the program, which would include facilitating the training of teachers on computer literacy and maintenance and provide apprenticeships to qualified students into the facilities maintenance component of their education.

"This is pursuant to Republic Act 6957, the act authorizing the private sector to build and operate infrastructure facilities and later on transfer ownership to the (local) government,’’ he said.

Finally, the bill would put in place a voucher system for specialized computer education in 19 of the poorest provinces of the country, he pointed out.

Under this provision, qualified students who completed secondary school would be allowed to take competitive aptitude tests. Upon passing the test, they could avail of vouchers from the partner agency or through the local unit of the Board to enroll in a computer school of their choice, he said.

Passage by the next Congress of the bill would be timely, Angara said.

In the 2009 Global IT Report released by the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the Philippines has further slipped from its 2008 ranking of 81st in terms of Network Readiness to 85th.

In 2007 the country ranked 69th, he said.