DOLORES, Abra(PIA) – The Rosalio Eduarte National High School (RENHS) in Barangay Talogtog  in this town is going paperless in its examinations, reducing cost and  helping the environment.

RENHS Teacher II Cherry Taguines  initiated this   paperless examination last year with her  senior high school students.

“We started implementing this paperless exam among grade 11 and 12 initially,  and there is a big advantage because every examination, a student uses  two  bond papers  times the number of students among the senior high which is around 100, that’s around 200 pieces of bond papers in one examination,” she said.

This simple act can contribute a great impact to the environment by minimizing paper usage in the school, Taguines said.

Bulk of exam papers  is also difficult to manage, and there is also the risk of the question and answer sheets being lost or damaged.

The school  principal saw the positive impact of this initiative, and supported the shift to  online examination using the google forms, she said.

While online examinations are vulnerable to cheating, Taguines ensures that her students are taking the paperless tests appropriately by programming their google forms with anti-cheating features.

“Once na nag enter na sila sa google form and they start the exam, they cannot hibernate or minimize the google form anymore if some would want to search the answers online kasi mag re-reset iyong google form, and that will prevent them from cheating,” she explained.

On the access and  availability of internet connection, Taguines explained that students who do not have mobile connectivity are shared with data through mobile hotspot connection. The school also lends DepEd-issued tablets to students who need it.

This paper conservation initiative  is  also in accord  with  Republic Act 9512 or the  National Environmental Awareness through Education Act. (JDP/CAGT – PIA CAR, Abra)