5.6 million children and youth not in the school

Despite Philippine public education being free and compulsory, there are still so many school-age children and youth who are out in the streets, vulnerable to exploitation.

According to the records of the Department of Education (DepEd), there are about 5.6 million children and youth who are not in school, hence, they run the risk of compromising their future.

Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said they have embarked on project REACH (Reaching all Children) to bring to school these children.

DepEd said that as of school year 2007-2008, some 2.2 million children aged 6-12 years old and 3.4 million 12-15 years old out-of-school youth or a total of 5.6 million are reported not to be in school.

Lapus said Project REACH relies on the support and partnership[ps with sectors to "find these children, reach them and keep them.

He said that getting children to school is already a big challenge and keeping them in school is even more challenging.

Project REACH has two major components, namely Child Find and Innovative Interventions.

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How to avail discounted laptop for teachers?

he Department of Education recently signed an agreement with software provider Microsoft and is set to sign an agreement with hardware manufacturers ACER and Neo to provide affordable laptops for public school teachers that may be paid in interest-free monthly installments.

These laptops contain lesson plans and interactive teaching guides that can be used to make classroom instruction more interesting and effective. DepEd will also load these computers with a substantial number of educational applications to further enhance the delivery of quality instruction.

To avail of the project, public school teachers have to pass the online examination administered by IC3, an independent certification body. Interested public school teachers may log on to the Certiport website (www.certiport.com).

DepEd has ongoing talks with other hardware vendors and manufacturers on the possibility of these companies' participation in what is dubbed as the Laptop for Teachers Program (LT4T), which covers both hardware delivery and improvement of classroom instruction.

Meanwhile, Adopt-a-School Executive Director Mari Paul Soriano clarified that the Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic Version is bundled with the hardware and not sold at $7 per unit as earlier reported. He explained that Microsoft will contribute $7 to DepEd's Adopt-a-School Program for every laptop bought by public school teachers.

"Microsoft's participation, together with Acer and Neo, is a major step for both private sector participation and DepEd's ICT Program," Lapus said. "We look forward to working with other members of the ICT community to help us enhance teaching and learning in our public schools, particularly through their support of Adopt-A-School."

The Adopt-A-School Program encourages private sector groups to work with DepEd in improving the basic education system. Corporations and individuals can help boost teacher training programs, donate school buildings, computer laboratories and textbooks, or sponsor medical and dental missions to public schools.

"We support the DepEd's vision of developing skilled and competitive students who will one day be our business and community leaders," said Michelle Casio, Academic Programs Manager, Microsoft Philippines.

"Through Partners in Learning, our global initiative for education, we are partnering with DepEd's Adopt-a-School and Laptop for Teachers programs, to enable Filipino educators to have the access to resources that will help them transform the teaching process and learning experience. At the end of the day, we would like to see Filipinos who are capable of actively participating and contributing to the global market," said Casio.

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DepEd Teachers Asked to Optimized the Utilization of ICT

The department's ICT4E or Information Communication Technology for Education – the strategic plan of which has just been completed – builds on earlier efforts, strategies, and interventions developed by DepEd in partnership with its stakeholders. It is a road map on what, when, where, why, and how DepEd will employ and integrate ICT in the delivery of learning competencies initially in the core subjects of English, Science, and Mathematics.

Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Jesli Lapus calls for the optimum use of information and communication technology to deliver quality education and enhance institutional efficiency worthy of the 21st century.

Lapus sounded the call during the National Educators Congress in Baguio City where he also cited the department's effort to provide ICT-enriched learning materials, internet connectivity and computer laboratories to public schools through the assistance of the private sector.

The DepEd Chief stressed that "it is about time that we effectively use Information Technology in teaching and learning as well as in managing the delivery of services."

Some of the sessions on the second day of this year's Educators' Congress will focus on ICT tools that can be used to enhance productivity among teachers, school heads, education managers, and field office administrators.

These sessions aim to provide real and live examples of practices of DepEd's ICT partners.

"Introducing new stuff to educators and learners can be useless if they cannot harness and build on existing ICT initiatives," said Lapus.

Ayala Foundation, Intel, USAID, SMART, Oracle and Microsoft are just some of the institutions that support DepEd in its goal to bring digital literacy to Filipino students and make them competitive with our more progressive neighbors.

DepEd has increased its ICT-related efforts to sustain the initiatives that these groups have started. Just this year, Lapus instructed the department's budget chief to provide additional operating funds to schools which have dropped connections to cover internet subscription fees and incremental electric consumption charges.
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School Principals to be trained on bookeeping

The Education Chief mentioned that school principals are currently being trained to manage cash and other resources in line with the department's thrust to make school heads better managers. "Our principals must have the knowhow on resources management including bookkeeping or understand what is the 'bottom line' when budget preparation time comes around," said Lapus.

Lapus has instituted various reforms that resulted to improved administrative procedures and imbued school heads with financial know-how to better manage their schools.

He also disclosed that "procedures and guidelines on Records Management, Property Acquisition, and Disaster Risk Reduction have also been manualized to avoid ad-hoc solutions, influence peddling, and other unethical practices."

The manual will standardize handling of official records like report cards, student profiles, and teacher records. This will ensure that personnel movement caused by promotions, transfers, and retirements will not in any way affect operation of schools.

Among the department's accomplishments include the newly-instituted procurement system with more effective checks and balances. DepEd's National Textbook Delivery Program has been cited by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) – an international forum of donor governments and multilateral organizations including the United Nations and World Bank.

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Who should be blame if child became drug addicted

Parents are solely to blame if their child turns to illegal drugs, an educator said here on Thursday in an anti-drug symposium at the Tayug National High School (TNHS).

Consuelo Ladio, head teacher III and head of the Values Education Department of the TNHS, said parents are supposed to be the guardians, protectors, models and paragons of virtues to their children since the home is the solid foundation on which society rests.

The symposium, attended by parents and students, also had Chief Inspector Domingo Eden, chief of police, as among the main speakers.

Calling on parents to give love and understanding to their children so that they will not become dependents on drugs, Ladio blamed fathers and mothers for pampering, spoiling and failing their children for being not around when they needed them most.

"While you went your own businesses, gossips, gambling sessions, parties, dances or extra-curricular activities, you abandoned your child at home, pining for love and devotion, yearning for devotion and care," she said.

Having no one else to turn to, he or she often turns to and seeks the companionship of their own kind, other children who were also left by their parents to fend for themselves, she said.

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Teacher to receive P10,000 cash gift

 Government employees will receive P10,000 as cash
gift for this year, Department of Budget and Management Secretary
Rolando Andaya announced Thursday.

Andaya,
in his speech before the Philippine Government Employees Association
National Assembly, said of the P10,000 cash gift, P7,000 will be
shouldered by the national government while the remaining P3,000 will
come from agency savings.

”I
have been told that practically, all national government agencies have
a reservoir of savings it can dip into so the P10,000 is more or less
assured,” Andaya said.

The budget secretary said temporary employees, including contractuals and casual employees, will also enjoy the bonus.

Andaya,
however, did not mention the exact date of the release of the bonus but
noted that an executive order will soon be signed by President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo.

The government will spend P11 billion for the cash gift, he said. (PNA)
LDV/jmc

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Lesson Planning Contest and win a laptop prizes

TEACHERS: Submit your entries to the IIE Lesson Plan Contest for December and win the last of six laptop prizes. November winner will be published next week.

Where to pass? Contact

By Queena Lee-Chua
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Sample Lesson Plan Entry: A lesson plan on history, culture

Before the visit

Discuss Philippine pre-colonial culture and society. What are their customs, ways, clothing, ornaments? Students can either read their history textbook or supplement by doing research in the library or on the Internet. What are our ancestors’ conceptions of life, death and the afterlife?

During the visit

The gold exhibit has three sections. The first section, “Austronesian Migrations,” shows our links with Austronesian-speaking peoples who migrated from China and then spread out to Southeast Asia and beyond. Instruct students to examine the objects carefully, such as the omega-shaped ornament known as ling-ling-o.

Find the complete lesson plan copy here

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