News

DepEd teams up with Peñaflorida to bring ‘pushcart’ education to more areas

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Education (DepEd) has teamed up with the Dynamic Teen Company (DTC) of 2009 CNN Hero of the Year Efren Peñaflorida to scale up the latter’s “kariton” education model for mobile delivery of education services to out-of-school youth in poor urban areas in the country. 

DepEd and DTC launched the K4 Outreach program, touted as an “out of the box” delivery of educational services to marginalized urban learners.

The initial phase of the K4 program will implement the “kariton” education delivery style developed by Penaflorida which had gotten him the notice of CNN, leading to him being chosen as the CNN Hero of the Year for 2009.

“We say out of the box because it employs a novel way of making education and other basic social services accessible to underprivileged children initially in Manila, Caloocan, Pasig and Quezon City,” said Education Secretary Armin Luistro in ceremonies for the launch of the program last Saturday.

The K4 program developed by DTC uses kariton (pushcart) as klasrum (classroom), klinik (clinic), and kantin (canteen) to seek out its intended clientele.

As such it will carry with it educational materials, a simple medical care kit, and food to be shared to the learners after the learning session.

It targets street children aged 5 to 15 particularly those who never attended school or who have dropped out with the aim of reintegrating them into the formal school system.

The focus is on three learning areas. One is values formation that includes good manners and right conduct. There will also be literacy classes that teach them daily living skills, perceptual skills, language and mathematics. Thirdly, there will be a play center which aims to make learning enjoyable.

By Rainier Allan Ronda (The Philippine Star)
January 26, 2012

The new curriculum

2012 will truly be a new year for Philippine education.

In June 2012, students entering the first grade of elementary school and those entering the first year of high school will follow the new K to 12 curriculum.

Students already in elementary school today will have 12, rather than 10 years of basic education.

Students already in high school today will still have only four years of high school, but will have the option of taking two years of voluntary Senior High School in selected public and private schools.

Let us go through these developments one at a time.

What is in store for six-year-old children entering Grade 1 in June?

First of all, they will all have some form of pre-school education. Those in public schools will already have had a full year of Kindergarten. Those in private schools will most likely have had even more than one year of pre-school.

According to DepEd, only those who have had pre-school or Kindergarten will be allowed to enrol in Grade 1.

A question that always arises during discussions about K to 12 is this: what happens to the six-year-olds that have not had Kindergarten?

DepEd has proposed a solution. There will be an intensive Kindergarten in April and May. For children still without some kind of pre-schooling, there will be an even shorter quasi-Kindergarten during June itself.

Of course, there are serious problems with such an arrangement, but a little pre-schooling is better than none. The idea, however, is sound: children entering Grade 1 should already have experience in being in a classroom, socializing with other children.

What will Grade 1 be like in June?

The biggest change is in the duration of classes. Starting in June, Grade 1 students will stay in school for only half a day. A typical Grade 1 class will have the following schedule:

  • Homeroom = 10 minutes
  • Reading and Writing in the Mother Tongue = 40 minutes
  • Oral Fluency in Filipino = 40 minutes
  • Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao (EsP) = 30 minutes
  • Recess = 20 minutes
  • Mathematics or Arithmetic = 30 minutes
  • Araling Panlipunan (AP) = 30 minutes
  • Music, Arts, Physical Education, Health (MAPEH) = 30 minutes

That is the schedule for the first semester (or the first two grading periods) for Grade 1. During the second semester (or the last two grading periods), Oral Fluency in English will be added for 40 minutes.

In the first semester, the student will stay in school for only 210 minutes or 3 1/2 hours. In the second semester, that will be extended to 250 minutes or a little over four hours.

The second biggest change is the use of the mother tongue both as medium of instruction and as a separate subject. As an example, take a typical Grade 1 class in Cebu. In June, the students will devote one period to Cebuano. They will learn how to read using Cebuano texts in the time allotted for “Reading and Writing in the Mother Tongue.” Students will also use Cebuano to study the other subjects, including Arithmetic.

The third biggest change is in the way Mathematics, AP, and Filipino will be taught. DepEd has decided to use the Spiral Approach. Simply put, that means that everything will be taught all at once, but in small doses. The approach is best illustrated in Mathematics. In the current approach, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division are taught separately and in sequence.

Using the Spiral Approach, a typical lesson could go this way:

Take a group of five children. How many pencils do we need to have if each child would have one each? That is addition.

If another group of five children joins us, how many more pencils do we need? That is multiplication.

If one of the children goes home, how many pencils will we now need? That is subtraction.

If we had ten pencils and these two groups came to us at the same time, into how many groups of five pencils each do we need to arrange the pencils? That is division.

Instead of students learning the mathematical functions one lesson at a time, they will learn them all at once, within the same lesson. (This example is deliberately simplistic, but you get the idea.)

The fourth biggest change is the introduction of MAPEH. In the current curriculum, MAPEH starts in Grade 4. In the new curriculum, students are introduced to Philippine music, Philippine arts, physical education, and health issues immediately in Grade 1.

The biggest changes in Grade 7 (New High School Year 1) are the Spiral Approach and a new period called “Individual / Cooperative Learning.”

These big changes exemplify the major features of the new K to 12 curriculum.

The K to 12 curriculum is research-based. In order to draft it, curriculum designers had to look at what other countries are doing (thanks to foreign funding agencies that allowed Filipino experts to travel to other countries and foreign experts to come to the Philippines), what current pedagogical theories say (thanks to several local and foreign universities), and the situation on the ground (thanks to comprehensive reports from DepEd field offices). The designers have adapted the best practices of other countries to our own culture and experience. (To be continued)

MINI CRITIQUE By Isagani Cruz (The Philippine Star) 
January 05, 2012

Southern Mindanao’s reading program gets P21M funding assistance

DAVAO CIT, Philippines – The Department of Education (DepEd) has included the 10 schools divisions of Southern Mindanao (SM) or Region 11 in the agency’s P21,034,000 financial assistance to its intensified reading program for elementary school children for the current school year. 

DepEd Region 11 Director Susana Teresa Estigoy noted that Southern Mindanao is the only region in the Southern Philippines which was included under the DepEd Fund aid for reading program which also involved six regions in Luzon and one region in the Visayas.

The financial allocation, Estigoy said, was earmarked to strengthen the implementation of DepEd’s “Every Child A Reader Program” (ECARP), particularly on its three major components.

These components are listed in Luistro’s directive as Reading Recovery (RR), administration of the Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (Phil-IRI), and development of the Philippine World Lists in English (PWLE) for first, second and third grade pupils in SM’s nine schools divisions.

Estigoy said region 11 is composed of the schools divisions of Davao del Sur, Davao City, Compostela Valley, Tagum City, Davao Oriental, Digos City, Davao del Norte, Panabo City, Island Garden City of Samal (IGACoS), and Mati City.

Quoting Luistro’s directive, Estigoy said Region 11’s ECARP support fund aid for Reading Recovery will be specifically utilized for setting up Regional Reading Recovery Centers (RRRCs), and refurbishment of existing vacant rooms, expenses on teachers’ training, and for visits to schools of teachers-in-training, monitoring visits relative to the enforcement of RR in the regional level, conducting advocacy activities, management and maintenance of database, and procurement of equipment and story books for schools children.

Estigoy said the DepEd chief’s order described the ECARP as a national program designed to make every pupil an independent reader and writer at the end of Grade 3 even as it provides a year-long training to teachers to make them independent solvers of literacy problems in their respective learning centers.

RR, an early literacy intervention that aims at reducing reading and writing difficulties in schools gives children who are beginning to fall behind in reading and writing, a second chance before their problems become complicated. 

By J. Antonio Rimando (The Philippine Star) Updated January 26, 2012

Search for 2012 National Literacy Award Launched

The Department of Education through the Literacy Coordinating Council launched the search for the 2012 National Literacy Award (NLA) by way of issuing DepEd Memorandum No. 24, s. 2012. The NLA has two categories as follows:

  • Outstanding Literacy Program Award given to a civil society organization, nongovernment organization, private organization or educational/academic institution which has implemented a literacy program that made a positive impact on learners and the community; and
  • Outstanding Local Government Unit (LGU) Award given to local government units (highly urbanized city, component/component independent city, class A municipality and class B municipality) which have developed policies, programs and projects conducive to literacy development and which have efficaciously made a positive impact on their barangays and the quality of life of their people.

 The Award aims to recognize best practices for implementing literacy programs or projects that help alleviate poverty, provide livelihood, address welfare needs, promote freedom and make education facilities accessible.

Held every two years, the NLA gives special recognition to outstanding literacy programs and outstanding local government units (component and highly urbanized cities and class A and B municipalities) initiating and implementing literacy programs and projects responsive to their community’s needs.
 
Nomination/s and selection of regional winners shall be conducted not later than April 10-30, 2012. Announcement of regional winners will be on May 2, 2012. Regional entries must be submitted to the LCC Secretariat on or before May 15, 2012. Any entry not received by said date will be disqualified from the short listing process. 

Nominees must submit documents strictly in accordance with the following specifications: 

  • a clear, simple, straightforward and understandable Executive Summary of not more than five (5) pages in A-4 bond size, double-spaced, describing the nominated program/s or local government unit based on the set criteria.
  • three (3) copies of the nominee’s folio/entry of not more than fifty (50) pages in A-4 bond size, double-spaced containing only related documents and data including photographs (size: 3”x5”, not to exceed 20 pieces; video documentation is not encouraged); in accordance with the category and criteria but limited to those in effect within three (3) years prior to the date of entry.
  • electronic copy of nominee’s folio/entry including photographs for uploading in the LCC website (https://lcc.deped.gov.ph). 
  • individual score sheets of the Regional Screening Committee (RSC) members duly signed by the rater and countersigned by the RSC Chairperson. 
  • brief but complete documentation of all stages of the selection process signed by the Coordinator and countersigned by the Chairperson. 

The DepEd regional directors and chiefs of Alternative Learning System (ALS) who are designated members of the Regional Steering Committee are enjoined to spearhead the nomination/selection process at the regional level. They are advised to apply the revised set of criteria and guidelines for selection and follow the new schedule provided. They are expected to submit to the LCC Secretariat a brief report on how the regional nominees were selected together with the list of nominees.

Parties who are interested to join the 2012 National Literacy Award, may contact the LCC Secretariat for more information.

School options

What can schools do to prepare for K to 12?

The Department of Education (DepEd) has recommended several actions that schools can do to comply with the new curriculum.

According to DepEd, “different types of schools may model Senior High beginning this June,” but “it is important to consider institutional capability, acceptability to students/parents, and relevance to local context.” 

Let us look at that directive closely.

First of all, it is clear that there are different types of schools. In fact, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has an even more elaborate description (called a “typology”) of these types. DepEd names only three general types: high schools without college departments, high schools with college departments, and colleges without high schools. For convenience, let us call these types A, B, and C, respectively.

Type A schools (high schools that do not have college students on their campuses) can simply add the two years that make up Senior High.

Type B schools (high schools that have college students on their campuses) can add Senior High. These schools may call the added two years by any other name (Junior College, Career Academy, College Preparatory, Pre-Baccalaureate, whatever), since, as Shakespeare said, a rose by any other name is still a rose.

Type C schools (Higher Educational Institutions or HEIs that offer only college courses) can add a Senior High. DepEd adds the three conditions of capability, acceptability, and relevance. Let us see how these conditions apply to each of these types.

A Type A school needs to build schoolrooms and to hire teachers, assuming that it has only enough schoolrooms for its current needs and all its teachers are already overworked. (There is no such animal as a teacher who is not overworked.)

A Type A school needs a lot more money than it now has to comply with K to 12. Because that money will come from parents, parents will have to agree with the expansion plan. If the parents do not agree or if the school cannot add schoolrooms (for example, if the buildings cannot have extra floors or the campus is too small), then the students will have no choice but to move to another school for their Senior High. (When parents see how much of a hassle that is, they will agree.)

A Type B school has fewer problems with K to 12. All it has to do is to assign some of its current college classrooms to Senior High. Teachers of General Education (GE) college courses can teach many of the Senior High subjects, provided they pass the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET). The school has to hire only a few more teachers for the subjects in Senior High that are not the same as the GE subjects.

A Type C school has more problems. Right now, such a school reports only to CHED or, if it has technical courses, to TESDA. Now, it will have to report also to DepEd and, if it does not have technical courses right now, to TESDA. Like a Type B school, it will have to make its teachers pass the LET. It will also have to hire high school teachers for the subjects in Senior High that are not the same as the GE subjects.

Let us talk about relevance to local needs.

What does DepEd mean by “local needs”? DepEd gives the example of a high school in a community that relies primarily on fishing. The Senior High in that community has to offer electives in fishing. Similarly, a high school situated in a ship-building community will have to offer welding as an elective. A school in a community with a number of call centers should offer English electives in Senior High.

A Type A school will have the easiest time of all, because it most likely already responds to local needs. Many public schools in communities that need very specialized skills (for example, agriculture, fishing, welding, dressmaking) already offer such electives. A Senior High will merely add hours and coordinate with TESDA for technical electives.

A Type B school will also probably already have the facilities for electives appropriate to local needs. If not, this school will have to spend for rooms, equipment, and teachers.

A Type C school need not have facilities for technical-vocational subjects, because its Senior High students will obviously be college-bound. Nevertheless, some subjects in college courses such as Hotel and Restaurant Management and IT will need to be certified by TESDA, since they will now be classified as high school subjects. About the LET. All high school teachers need a license. I suggest that HEIs offer education units to their GE teachers and to make these teachers take the LET. It is a very good idea anyway for all college teachers to take education subjects. As students will confirm, it is one thing for a teacher to know his or her subject matter and quite another thing to be able to facilitate student learning in that subject. Teaching is as much a profession as being a medical doctor, a writer, an engineer, a lawyer, or a social scientist. Like all professions, teaching needs explicit professional training; you can get that only from education courses, not from experience. (To be continued) 

MINI CRITIQUE By Isagani Cruz (The Philippine Star) January 26, 2012

Tagum bags Unesco International Literacy Award Aim high, Tagum!

The competitors were all equally worthy and the standards are high, yet the jury of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) International Literacy Awards had no qualms in awarding Tagum City with the bronze medal in the highly coveted King Sejong Literacy Prize.

In its website UNESCO said: “Tagum is cited for the city’s peace management literacy and continuing education through its night market program.”

T a g u m was specially lauded for its effort in reducing and eventually eliminate illiteracy among migrant vendors of diverse cultural backgrounds. In the process, peace was achieved and the night market, the barometer of a vibrant economy, flourished. Initially, the literacy program was solely provided for employment opportunities among its small and medium-scale entrepreneurs. These entrepreneurs transformed the city’s plaza into a bustling trading area at night, where people, including tourists, get to taste a variety of food products and shop at affordable prices. The city’s innovative approach to bringing livelihood and, at the same time, drawing tourists became a big hit to UNESCO. 

“Nagtitinda sila ng fish balls, squid balls, kwek-kwek, banana cue, camote cue, turon, at marami pa. ‘Yung iba naman ay naglalako ng mumurahing ipit ng buhok, t-shirt, damit, suklay, at iba pa,” said Anwar Maadel, head of the city’s literacy coordinating program. “Parang fiesta at dagsaan rin ito ng mga turista kasi ramdam nila na ligtas ang lugar at madami talagang pwedeng bilhin,” he added. 

Eventually, the program was infused with functional literacy lessons provided by the city government through free seminars to market vendors, “kargadors,” and market sweepers. These out-of-school youths and adults attend classes at a designated time in the market’s vacant space where they learn values education, health awareness, financial literacy and management, solid waste management and peace education. They call it “Palengkeskwela.” 
The “Palengkeskwela” gives poor but deserving youth and adult market workers access to education that suits their needs and unique circumstances. Since its inception in 2005, about 92 vendors have already finished basic education through the Palengkeskwela, while 4,434 more have graduated under the city’s alternative learning system (ALS).

According to Maadel, Tagum’s literacy programs have contributed to the city’s high literacy rate of 95.24 percent. In 2008 and 2010, Tagum City also clinched the DepEd Literacy Coordinating Council’s (LCC) National Literacy Award and was elevated to the Hall of Fame in 2011. Everything emanates from education. Through education, people see no reason to fight with each other. Tagum City Mayor Rey Uy said: “What they realized is that they have more reasons to improve their lot in life, learn to earn a living and polish their ways of managing their business.”

“Sa edukasyon, nawala ang duda sa kapwa at alinlangan sa sarili at ibinuhos ang oras sa paghahanapbuhay at pakikipamuhay sa iba pa sa komunidad,” said Norma Salcedo, head of DepEd- LCC.

EducNews VOL. II No. 2, Feb 2012
By Florelyn Morada and Maribel Cabasal

‘Care for School Chairs’ program benefits Compostela, Panabo schools

 It’s a division of labor for the father-and-son tandem of Tagum to carry out the success of the “Care for School Chairs Program” initiated by the City Government of Tagum, gaining positive feedback and praises not only in the city but from nearby cities and municipalities as well.

City Councilor De Carlo “Oyo” L. Uy intensified efforts to distribute brand new school chairs to schools in Tagum City, particularly the different day care centers in the Barangays while Tagum City Mayor Rey T. Uy is busy doing the same to nearby towns, reaching schools in City of Panabo, Province of Davao del Norte and the Municipality of Compostela, Province of Compostela Valley last week.

Manay National High School, a remote school in Panabo received two hundred fifty nine (259) pieces of armchairs last January 19 while six hundred fifty six (656) pieces were also distributed to three different schools in Compostela National High School last January 20. 

Teacher Hilda Gales of Compostela National High School can’t believe her classroom was among the beneficiaries, saying that she only wished Mayor Uy’s team will go to their school each time the news about this program is reported on television.

“Salamat sa dakong tabang ninyo, sa inyong pakigtambayayong sa DepEd para sa kalambuan sa atong mga estudyante,” she said, who tagged the new chairs as a “dream come true.”

Accompanying the local chief executive during his distribution were Compostela Mayor Jesse Bolo, Board Members Neri Barte and Roel Gonzaga of Comval’s Sangguniang Panlalawigan and Barangay Poblacion Captain Wilfredo Ang. 

As to date, more than 18,346 pieces of school furniture, to wit; armchairs, desk, kiddie chairs, kiddie table has already been distributed by the Local Government of Tagum to different schools in the region, which are made from the confiscated logs given by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

According to Mayor Uy, the fabrication and distribution of school chairs will take until December this year, with the large bulk of logs given by DENR which are placed at the city’s motor pool. With this, he called on the public to volunteer in painting chairs.

Last January 23, heads of the different departments, divisions and sections heads in the city hall took the time to participate in the Bayanihan despite it was declared a special non-working holiday because of the Chinese New Year celebration. On their part, the Provincial Government of Compostela Valley had provided five carpenters to augment the workforce making school chairs. 1, 200 pieces of chairs can be made in one week, according to the local chief executive Mayor Rey T. Uy.

Jan 24 2012 by Tagum City Info Office
https://www.tagumcity.gov.ph/

New Corella, Asuncion schools get brand new chairs

City of Tagum, Davao del Norte – With the intensified move to beef up the delivery of brand new school furniture borne out of the “Care for School Chairs Program” of the Local Government of Tagum, three different schools in the Municipality of New Corella and Asuncion town receive brand new school chairs this week.

Students of Mesaoy Elementary School in Municipality of New Corella jubilated when they received two hundred eighty eight (288) pieces of school furniture consisting of armchairs, desks and kiddie chairs last January 17, 2012 with Mayor Rey T. Uy leading in the delivery, along with his wife, Mrs. Alma L. Uy, his daughter, Ciara Isabelle and Municipal Mayor Nestor Alcoran.

Eugenio Bermoy, school principal of the said school, expressed that these chairs will really help a lot in achieving quality education. He then shared that those old chairs will be repaired and will be painted with yellow come summer break, during the National Schools Maintenance Week more known as Brigada Eskwela. 
On January 18, 2012 at the Municipality of Asuncion, Governor Rodolfo P. del Rosario joined Mayor Rey Uy in the delivery of three hundred thirty eight (338) pieces of school furniture consisting again of armchairs, desks and kiddie chairs from the local government of Tagum. Asuncion Mayor Joseph Nilo Pareñas was also present during the delivery. 

Both Cabaywa and Upper Cabaywa Elementary Schools in Asuncion benefited in the latest edition of school furniture delivery, with its principal saying it was the most opportune time that these were given in their school. 
“Mahapsay ga gyud ang paglingkod sa among mga estudyante nga nag-antos sa nagtuya-tuya nga bangko,” principal Grace A. Deconio expressed in an interview, describing the condition of the replaced armchairs as a “hindrance to continuous learning.” 

These brand new school furniture were produced out from confiscated logs seized by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Office’s Anti-Illegal Logging Task Force and were later given to Local Government Unit of Tagum which had the fabrication facility at the Tagum City Motorpool. Volunteers from different organizations in Davao Region helped in painting these chairs and with paints donated by private organizations and individuals.

Jan 19 2012 by Tagum City Info Office
https://www.tagumcity.gov.ph/

Dujali, Panabo schools receive new chairs; 19, 211 chairs distributed in 5 months

BRAULIO E. DUJALI, DAVAO DEL NORTE—40 year-old Eva Avira, the president of the parent teachers association in one elementary school here displayed her biggest smile when she witnessed the unloading of school furniture fabricated by the City Government of Tagum.

On January 26, 2012, at least 286 pieces of armchairs, kiddie chairs and desks were formally turned-over by Tagum City Mayor Rey T. Uy to East Cabayangan Elementary School and Magupising Elementary School, replacing old ones in which Mrs. Avira described as not suited to be used by the students.

“It was a relief that finally, swinging chairs will now be replaced with old ones which really make a big impact in the learning of our children,” she said in vernacular, trying to keep her tears from falling.

For School Principal Susan T. Flores, the brand new school furniture replacing their dilapidated chairs added weight to their desire to deliver quality education, as these materials will truly make their school a conducive learning place.

One success factor of achieving that quality education is providing each student a good posture through the recommended size of their chairs or desks, the principal shared. She added that with the status of their old school chairs, that remains a dream.

It was true indeed when Mayor Uy’s team discovered that their chairs share a common denominator with those of other schools in the region: deteriorating, too dark for an already dark classroom and most are swinging.

Good thing, Mrs. Avira and Mrs. Flores muse, is that this will now be a thing of the past. All it took for them to acquire the brand-new school furniture from Tagum was courage and sweat. 

In two separate dates, the group which included no less than Dujali Mayor Lolita Moral heeded the call of Mayor Uy to volunteer in sand papering and painting of some of the thousands school furniture at the city’s motorpool—the center of production of chairs made from confiscated logs. The workforce manning the fabrication section is capable of producing 1,200 pieces of armchairs in a span of seven days. 

Aside from the two schools in Dujali, Panabo City’s Kaputian and Little Panay Elementary Schools, respectively received 287 pieces of school fixtures last January 25, 2012. Panabo Mayor Jose Silvosa was all praise for the program which he tag as a monumental effort to keep the school children concentrate in their lessons.

Now on its fifth month of operation, the Care for School Chairs Program has now a record-high 19, 211 pieces of school furniture delivered in schools in Davao Region as of January 26, 2011, gaining positive comments from all sectors, including to the department which greatly benefited from it.

In a brief interview, Schools Division Superintendent of DepEd Davao del Norte hailed the City Government of Tagum led by Mayor Uy for this “very rare and unique program,” saying that the brand-new chairs will give “convenience” to the students and will be a contributor “to make a comfortable learning environment.”

Jan 27 2012 by Tagum City Info Office
https://www.tagumcity.gov.ph