The Philippine Science High School (PSHS), also known as Pisay, is taking a significant step forward in digital transformation by launching Pisay-DigiCert, a blockchain-powered platform for managing student records. This new system uses blockchain technology to make it easier to request, store, and share academic documents and protect them against tampering and fraud.

One of the main aims of Pisay-DigiCert is to reduce the need for students to visit the school in person to request transcripts or certificates. With this new system, both students and parents will be able to access records remotely. It cuts down on the need to physically store records on campus, which is an ongoing challenge for many educational institutions. Digitizing these records via blockchain ensures that the data remains safe from tampering or loss due to human error or natural disasters.

Pisay Digi-Cert aims to reduce the administrative burden of record-keeping and make it easier for institutions to verify documents. Employers or universities that want to confirm a student’s credentials can easily upload the document to Pisay-DigiCert to check its authenticity, reducing the slow back-and-forth that usually happens with traditional verification methods. Universities can quickly verify a student’s data coming from other school systems and eliminate the chances of falsified or missing documents upon registration.

For students, this means they no longer have to worry about waiting long weeks to receive their documents, or, in worst case scenarios, graduate without getting access to their transcript of records.

Pisay-DigiCert is expected to undergo testing at the Philippine Science High School before the year’s end, with the possibility of a full rollout in 2025. This project is part of a larger initiative under the Department of Science and Technology to demonstrate that blockchain technology is not limited to cryptocurrencies but can be applied to a range of practical, real-world uses, such as education and research.

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Blockchain in Education: A Growing Trend

One of the major advantages of blockchain technology in the context of education is its ability to address the issues of data security and verification. With blockchain, academic records are stored in a decentralized system, meaning they are less vulnerable to tampering or unauthorized access. This is crucial for maintaining the credibility of educational institutions and ensuring that students’ achievements are accurately reflected.

Pisay is not alone in advocating for using blockchain to manage academic records. In 2019, researchers proposed creating EduRSS, a blockchain-based platform designed to tackle issues like secure storage and privacy-preserving storing. The concept would use a combination of off-chain storage and cryptography to protect data, while smart contracts regulate how records are shared and verified. 

In a separate study from Linnaeus University in Sweden, students expressed positive views on blockchain’s potential to improve educational record management. They appreciated the increased security, access, and control over their records but stressed the importance of ensuring that only trusted authorities, like university staff, instead of anonymous participants, oversee the validation process. 

However, the students also pointed out concerns about sustainability, particularly regarding blockchain’s energy consumption. They also emphasized the importance of usability, expecting any blockchain-based system to be as user-friendly as existing platforms in use. According to the study, students prefer a permissioned blockchain setup, where access is controlled, and records are validated by trusted institutions.

These insights align with Pisay’s approach, as they aim to design a system that is not only secure but also user-friendly and sustainable.

As Pisay prepares to test Pisay-DigiCert later this year, the project will be closely watched by educators, students, and government agencies alike. In a time when the need for digital solutions is more critical than ever, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic, Pisay’s move to adopt blockchain is an important step forward. If successful, this could pave the way for other schools across the Philippines to incorporate blockchain into their systems for a more efficient and secure way of managing student data. By embracing this technology, educational institutions can reduce the burden on school staff and students alike—instead of wasting time reconciling paperwork, they can focus their efforts on furthering academic progress in the country.

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