educNEWS December 2012 by DepEd Philippines

educNEWS

VOL. I NO. 12 / DECEMBER 2012

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

What most people did not know about Jesse Robredo Teachers come well prepared

A culture-responsive education

R O F E

T L O N A

brother’s brew

2012 leaves a trail of hope

ecember, being the end of the calendar year, is the best time to go through the year’s major happenings- especially on our end, those that have direct bearing on education.

In its entirety, the year 2012 paved the way for a 2013 that has all of us brimming in hopeful anticipation. Why? Because in late November the House of Representatives has approved on third reading a bill that will enact into law K to 12, ensuring its continuity and State funding. Its next stop is the Senate. For sure, it will go though some wild ride as it is being polished and fine-tuned. But we remain confident of its eventual passage into law. Our optimism is bolstered by the most recent survey results conducted by the Social Weather Station which showed the increasing approval of the public in the merits of K to 12 and their growing trust that this Basic Education Reform Program will create a positive change in our education system. Also this year, a peace agreement was reached between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. Again, this is a development that will ensure unhampered delivery of education services to Mindanao. Already, the Australian government has committed Aus$85 million under the Basic Education Assistance for Mindanao (BEAM) specifically for the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao. To show its continuing support to and solidarity with DepEd -ARMM, DepEd Region 12 has donated its own Regional Education Learning Center for use of ARMM teachers and school officials as training center to improve classroom instruction and school administration. DepEd has also taken decisive action on inclusive education of Indigenous Peoples – ending long years of neglect to their unique learning needs. In a ceremony with civil society groups, the DepEd has committed to make basic education truly responsive and relevant to the indigenous peoples. 2012 is indeed an eventful year and we look forward to a challenging yet rewarding 2013. Thank you for your support and encouragement. We invite you to continue journeying with us in the years to come.

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December 2012

contents

educNEWS EDITORIAL TEAM ANNA CRISTINA M. GANZON editorial adviser

MARIBEL P. CABASAL associate editor

02 brother’s brew 2012 leaves a trail of hope

MELINDRE B. EGLORIA FLORELYN B. MORADA LEMUEL C. VALLES LAWRENCE D. CRUZ JASON O. VILLENA staff writers

04 editorial Sustaining the gains of 2012 in 2013 05 feature DepEd goes Google

LEMUEL C. VALLES creative editor

06 special feature What most people did not know about Jesse Robredo

ELINETTE B. DELA CRUZ layout artist

08 banner story Relevant, culture-responsive education for Indigenous Peoples

JASON O. VILLENA graphic artist EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION DIVISION EDUCATIONAL AUDIO-VISUAL DIVISION photography

10 feature Sarangani has a ‘Big Brother’

EducNews is published monthly by the Educational Information Division Office of the Secretary DepEd Complex, Pasig City. Copyright 2012. All rights reserved. About the cover Datu Doloman Dausay, a community elder of the Ata Manobo and council member of Salugpongan Ta’tanu lgkanogon, Sitio Dulyan, Talaingod, Davao del Norte listens intently to Br. Armin Luistro during the IP Education Gathering held at DepEd Central Office.

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12 skills up Teachers come well prepared 14 feature Jun pays it forward

educNEWS

VOL. I NO. 12 / DECEMBER 2012

11 K to 12 flyer

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

What most people did not know about Jesse Robredo Teachers come well prepared

A culture responsive education

R FO T LE NO SA

15 pluma ng diwa Tuloy ang Pasko

EducNews welcomes contributions from the DepEd community. Materials may be submitted to the Educational Information Division, Room B-110, Ground Floor, Bonifacio Building with telefax number (02) 6341169 or email eid.deped@yahoo.com.

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editorial

Sustaining the gains of 2012 in 2013

epEd looks forward to sustaining the gains in 2013 after an eventful 2012.

The year 2012 marked the year when first year students are called “Grade 7” with the implementation of the second phase of the K to 12 Basic Education Program. Under the new curriculum a child’s schooling starts when he /she is five years old under the universal kindergarten program which is mandatory in all public schools nationwide. Subsequently, there is six years of elementary education; four years of junior high school; and two years of senior high school. Next year, the curriculum for Grade 2 and Second Year High School will be introduced followed by the Grade 3 and Third Year High School Curriculum and every year thereafter until the new Basic Education Curriculum is fully implemented by school year 20162017. Aside from this, the Mother Tongue Based-Multilingual Education was launched in 2012. Hence, students from Grades 1 to 3 were taught in the language they use at home which studies have confirmed can develop students learn better and faster. With Brother Armin at the helm, shortages in education resources are addressed: textbooks, teachers, classrooms including desks and chairs, and water and sanitation facilities. Based on the latest DepEd Inventory of Schools, the government allocates funding to 38,503 public elementary and 7,470 public high schools throughout the country. This year, it accomplished the delivery of 52.7 million textbooks in partial fulfilment of its target to provide one textbook for every student on core subjects. On teacher shortage, DepEd hired 12,661 teachers and created 13,000 new teacher items. There are 45,000 Local Government Unit-paid teachers nationwide. Meanwhile, DepEd continued its teacher trainings to improve the teachers’ core competencies and boost their morale. Teachers underwent training to ensure that they are equipped to handle the K 4│

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to 12 and the Mother Tongue BasedMultilingual Education programs. In August this year, teachers from Payatas Division in Quezon City benefited from housing units under the “DepEd Project: Shelter.” Another hundred more is under construction. There are on-going housing projects for teachers across the country in partnership with the LGU, Gawad Kalinga, PAG-IBIG Fund and the private sector. Classroom shortage was reduced this year from the 66,800 in 2010, utilizing funds from the 2012 budget, through public-private partnerships, civil society organizations and local government units. There are over 33,000 new classrooms and DepEd has repaired 3,328 classrooms nationwide. From government agencies, DepEd was able to build 1,495 classrooms from the support of the House of Representatives and the Senate, 886 from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation and 4,093 from the LGUs. From private partners, DepEd was able to build 808 classrooms, 1,551 classrooms through the Adopt-aSchool Program and 1,097 from Official Development Assistance. DepEd hopes that the classroom shortage will be substantially addressed by the end of 2013. On school furniture, the DepEd has partnered with the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and Technical

Education and Skills Development Authority for the conversion of confiscated logs and lumber into school furniture. TESDA Secretary Joel Villanueva reported during the EFA Forum that the collaboration has produced 37,000 armchairs for public schools. With the inclusion of DepEd’s own funds and from other stakeholders, the department was able to deliver 1.1 million seats to schoolchildren nationwide. The DepEd has also mounted a drive to address the shortage in sanitation facilities with the addition of 5,927 sanitation facilities this year. Other continuing initiatives are: strengthening the “no collection” policy in all public schools, the expansion of Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education, improvements in the Madrasah Program and Distance Education through the Open High School Program. According to the 2012 EFA Global Monitoring Report, dropout in the Philippines has been reduced from 13 percent to 5 percent over the course of five years through the alternative delivery modes of education. Indeed, interventions are in place and DepEd continues to explore different avenues to close learning resource gaps but it needs more donors and volunteers to help carry out the mission. The Department, therefore, urges those who are concerned about the future of the Filipino children to pitch- in towards the achievements of its goals. December 2012

feature

DepEd goes Google by Lemuel Valles

he Department of Education (DepEd) has partnered with Google Inc. to streamline internal and other means of communication of over 600,000 teachers, staff and administrators across the nation.

Through Google Apps for Education, DepEd teaching and nonteaching personnel could connect to a common e-mail, chat and calendar system using Gmail, Google Talk and Google Calendar, and utilize cloud collaboration tools such as Google Docs, Google Sites and Google Groups. “Teachers and staff, no matter how remote, can now collaborate real-time in editing reports and sharing teaching materials. They will no longer have to utilize their personal email accounts, or manually send documents across the country. Everyone, from the Secretary to the teachers in far-flung provinces, December 2012

will use a centralized email system and will be able to access all their documents from wherever they are as long as there is an internet connection present,” Br. Armin said. The program will allow DepEd personnel to join over 16 million teachers and students worldwide who are already utilizing Google Apps for Education. With 200 divisions and 45,000 schools in more than 7,000 islands, the Education Department is looking for a way to streamline communications in order to draw the organization closer together. “Engaging an E-mail or webmail service will address many of these communication and collaboration challenges. With this collaboration with Google for free, we will significantly reduce our IT costs,” said DepEd Assistant Secretary Reynaldo Laguda. “Google is delighted to be supporting DepEd in harnessing the power of the web to work more efficiently and collaboratively. Providing access to information and

education is central to what we do, so it’s very exciting to see this happening at scale in the Philippines with this national project,” Samuel Cheung, Google Apps Supporting Program Regional Manager for South East Asia, Google, said. Meanwhile, in connection with the launching of Google Apps for Education, the Department conducted a nationwide deployment roll-out training for ICT administrators and trainers from the central office, regional and division offices on the use of the new email facility. DepEd issued official email accounts to its qualified employees across the regions, divisions and schools to further enhance the department’s communication capabilities. The training aims to empower participants as trainers in the user orientations at the central, regional and division office levels and enable selected administrator-participants to manage the user accounts at their respective levels.

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feature

Source: teamrobredo.com

What most people did not know about Jesse Robredo

grateful Literacy Coordinating Council (LCC) family hailed the late Interior and Local Government Secretary and former Naga City Mayor Jesse Robredo, during the National Literacy Conference and Awards held at Teachers Camp, Baguio City recently.

“He was a paragon of good governance. He made an impact by making the Naguenos assume responsibility and participate in promoting education reforms, guided by the principle that education is a

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shared responsibility,” said Norma Salcedo, head, LCC Secretariat as she looks back to then Mayor Jesse Robredo’s accomplishments in Naga City. Robredo, the country’s youngest mayor at 29 then, got the fifth place in the 2004 Outstanding Literacy Awards organized by the LCC. Here are his key-reform initiatives:

Pre testing of grade schoolers As a benchmark on the best public schools in Naga, the local government conducted a division-wide pre-testing to some 19,000 Grade 2 to 6 pupils in 23 public schools. This was undertaken by the Local School Board (LSB) to make administrators and personnel more

informed and accountable in the effort to improve the academic performance of students. Today, Naga stands out as a model city for governance that looks upon its students and the youth as future drivers for growth.

Naga-made lesson plans, workbooks Another bold step taken by the city was the printing of lesson plans and workbooks in partnership with the Ford Foundation in the early 2000. The “proudly Naga made” lesson plans were prepared by around 100 public school teachers covering all learning areas in the new Basic Education Curriculum from Grades 1 to 6. The

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workbooks on the other hand, focused on English, Science and Math. All 23,000 elementary pupils received a copy of the three workbooks. ”The ready-made lesson plans sought to unburden teachers of the task of writing lesson plans daily and enable them to focus on how to teach more effectively in the classroom. Meanwhile, the workbooks provided parents with a tool to bond with their children, particularly in their children’s assignments, and participate actively in the learning process,” Iriga City Superintendent Ruby Abundabar said. Superintendent Abundabar recalls, “master teacher II at English coordinator ako ng Naga City noong pina-manage sa akin ni Mayor Robredo kasama ang LSB sa paggawa ng lesson plans at workbooks. Summer namin ‘yan ginawa, araw-araw habang bakasyon, nagpupunta kaming mga guro sa Mac Mariano Elementary School sa Naga City para tapusin ang lesson plans at workbooks.” She added: “Tinapos namin ang lesson plans at workbooks ng summer, pina imprenta ng Hunyo, pina-pilot test sa mga guro at bata, humingi kami ng feedbacks sa field, nag-incorporate ng corrections at pina-imprenta yung kabuoan. ”When the workbooks were finally distributed, Robredo made an open letter to parents and it read, “Education is not the responsibility of the teachers, or DepEd or City Hall alone, it is our shared responsibility.” Results of the initial localized post-test showed that Naga Division registered an increase in learning of 16 percentage points, from an average of 35 percent in July 2002 to 51 percent in March 2003.

Regular consultations In 2003, for the first time in its LSB history, the city government made regular consultations and meetings with the parents, teachers and stakeholders said Bobby Ursua, former LSB Administrator of Robredo and now the Director of e-Governance Project of Naga City Hall. ”Ramdam mo na pro-education si Mayor Jesse noon. Dapat nandoon ang lahat pag may pulong. Kahit naka-tsinelas o naka sando ka, pumasok ka at sumali sa pulong kasi ayaw ni Mayor na walang pakialam ang tao sa edukasyon,” Ursua said. ”Nagpagawa pa nga si mayor noon ng sariling opisina ang LSB para maayos December 2012

at mapabilis ang implementasyon ng mga programa ng local government at ng DepEd,” he added.

Transparent, accountable government Robredo ensured a transparent and accountable government. This is a reputation that was slowly built through the years, and now, the community is reaping the benefits of its efforts. “Yung ranking sa DepEd noon, sinusunod namin yun. Pero sa LSB teachers namin, kami dapat ang pumipili, ayaw namin ng mga sulat-sulat at mga rekomendasyon. May sarili kaming ranking ng aming LSB teachers,” Ursua disclosed.

Magandang turo, hindi building “Mas gusto ni mayor noon mapunta ang pondo sa teachers trainings o soft infrastructure kaysa schoolbuildings o hard infrastructure. Gusto niya ay magandang turo, hindi magandang buildings,” Ursua said. The director also disclosed that the City Hall employees and staff, including the Mayor used monobloc chairs in the office. All meetings were done in the office with banana fries and softdrinks for snacks. “Trabaho lang siya, output-driven, walang kiyeme sa sarili at hindi bongga,” Ursua said. Abundabar seconded: ”Nanghingi ako noon kay Mayor ng training funds para sa Reading Program ko at binigyan naman niya ako. Pagkatapos nun, pagkagaling niya sa isang official travel abroad, bigla siyang nagpakita sa akin bitbit ang isang plastic bag…akala ko, pasalubong na tsokolate yun pala ay mga school magazines, brochures at pamphlets para pag-aralan ko at magaya daw ng Naga City.”

One true public servant Robredo was conferred the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Government Service in 2000. He was the first Filipino Mayor to earn the award for revitalizing the city of Naga, which earned it a spot in Asiaweek Magazine’s Asia’s Most Improved Cities. In his acceptance speech Robredo said, “Public servants are servant-leaders. Their mission is to serve and not to be served.” He served

a total of three terms as Naga City’s Mayor from 1988 to 1998 and again from 2001 to 2010. Robredo received other individual awards, including the 1996 Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World (TOYP) Award, 1990 Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Philippines (TOYM), 1998 Konrad Adenauer Medal of Excellence as Most Outstanding City Mayor of the Philippines and the first ever “Dangal ng Bayan” Award of the Civil Service Commission. He was also the recipient of the 2004 Public Service Award for Local e-Governance from the United Nations Department of Public Administration and Finance, and the 1998 Dubai International Award for Improving the Living Environment from the UN Habitat. Robredo was conferred the Philippine Legion of Honor with the rank of Chief Commander just before his state funeral on August 28, 2012. The DepEd released modules in the elementary and secondary levels about Robredo’s selfless and honest government service especially in his hometown in Naga City. The modules are used in Araling Panlipunan and Values Education.

Let’s hear from our readers EducNews is a strong link to the wonderful innovations and information regarding DepEd’s initiatives. The Association of Christian Schools Inc. (ACSI) is a recipient of EducNews in a National Conference. Keep on the good job! Perla S. Intia, Ph.D Association of Christian Schools Inc. EducNews delivers empowering stories of dedicated and committed teachers. With that, thank you. God Bless and more power. Eric F. Fungo Don Bosco-Makati Chino Roces Avenue, Makati City

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banner story

Relevant, culture-responsive education for Indigenous Peoples

ast October 22, 2012, Br. Armin led about a hundred Indigenous Peoples (IPs) representatives and civil society support groups to a ceremonial walk to the entrance of the Department of Education (DepEd) Central Office in Pasig City. Next was a symbolic ceremony with elders, leaders, and youth representing different IP communities, other stakeholders and DepEd officials putting soil, seeds, and learning materials into a large basket to signify their collective commitment to adopt and fully implement DepEd Order No. 62 series of 2011 (“DO62”) or the National Indigeneous Peoples Education Policy Framework.

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The ceremony brings to public attention the need to respond to the plight of learners belonging to IP communities who have suffered long and hard in an educational system that did not give due recognition to their diverse cultures and unique learning needs. DO62 states: “Recognizing education as a necessary means to realize other human rights and fundamental freedoms, the DepEd urges the strengthening of its policy on IP education and develop and implement an IP education program that subscribes to the rights-based approach, giving primary importance to the principles of participation, inclusion and empowerment.” Br. Armin said it clear: “[DO62] recognizes the faults of the country’s education system in the past. It is an invitation for us to change our perspective ... with a perspective that allows us to really be inclusive. Furthermore, it is an invitation for us to learn with, and not just teach in, indigenous communities that have always been on the sidelines.”

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Br. Armin explained that the long disadvantaged position of the IP communities was due in part to the lack of access to “culture-responsive basic education.” Datu Victorino Saway from Bukidnon also expressed his sentiments on the matter, “I feel happy and at the same time nervous of this undertaking because of the huge challenge facing the department in terms of educating IPs. I hope that they would develop a clear vision of what an ideal educated IP should be without offending the sensitivities of our elders,” he said. North Cotabato 2nd District Representative Nancy Catamco, a Bagobo, also shared her experiences as a Lumad (a generic term used by others to refer to indigenous cultural communities in Mindanao). “I remember as a kid, I was discriminated by my classmates and teachers for being a Lumad. They all thought I was stupid, ignorant and dirty. And worse, they thought I had a tail. Even as a congresswoman my collegues would ask me if I am Lumad, I answer yes and jokingly follow it up with my asking them, are you not going to ask if I have a tail? This is a result, I believe, of our shallow understanding of IPs as people and as a culture. “ I am happy that the DepEd is taking serious steps to finally address our struggle to develop an IP education system that is truly founded on the culture, history, heritage and even the spirituality of the IPs,” she said. The DepEd Order emphasizes that “indigenous knowledge and skills will be given importance in and out of the classroom; indigenous children may learn using methods that are sensitive to their culture and communities, and they will obtain education that is responsive to the needs of the IP communities, especially in preserving and protecting their ancestral domains and their right to decide for themselves.” “The program has at least two components: First, access of IP communities to education and other DepEd services. Second, for the curriculum to be anchored on the indigenous culture of the learner,” said Butch Rufino, coordinator of the DepEd – IP Education Office (IPsEO) and adviser to the secretary on IP concerns. “We are hopeful that through this partnership, many communities from disadvantaged IP communities across the country will be presented with equal access to quality education and the many opportunities that only education can provide,” said Viel Aquino-Dee, sister of President Benigno Aquino and representative of civil society and the Assisi Development Foundation. “The contribution that this partnership brings to the advancement of our IP children and youth cannot be underestimated,” she added. October is Indigeneous Peoples’ month. And because of the growing clamor for their inclusion and the concrete action taken by DepEd and other stakeholders, this could as well be their banner year.

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Sarangani has a ‘Big Brother’ by Maribel Cabasal

n Sarangani Province, there is a free Summer Volunteer Reading Program designed to assist DepEd in improving the reading skills of incoming Grade 2 and Grade 3 learners. This has been going on since 2008; the results are remarkable.

Dubbed as Sarangani Big Brother (SBB): Reading is Fun!, its heart lies in a simple but powerful idea: tap young leaders and teachers across the province and strengthen their spirit of volunteerism through a Free Summer Reading Program for the young. Pre and post tests were developed by the DepEd Division of Sarangani to measure the performance of pupils before and after the SBB. Results show not only that 97 percent of learners become better readers after going through the Program but also that there has been a decrease in dropout rate among the Grade 1 to Grade 3 pupils in Sarangani since the program’s inception. The SBB is a 15-day, Monday through Friday, 9-12 am to 1-3 pm schedule in remedial reading. It is implemented by DepEd, Quality Education for Sarangani Today (QUEST), the Alcantara Foundation and Sangguniang Kabataan in Sarangani. In an interview with Mary Queen Valdepeñas, a student volunteer said, “hindi trabaho sa akin ang SBB, fun activity ito lalo na dahil alam kong nakakatulong ako sa mga bata.” This is the spirit of genuinely giving without expecting anything in return. The program has gathered 3,759 youth volunteers, 1,263 teacher-volunteers, and 27,000 kid learners in 140 barangays of Sarangani since its inception. The DepEd-LGU-Private Sector Partnership has developed a working system that can be considered a best practice. ”Bawat teacher-volunteer ay may 35 na estudyante sa klase o ang tinatawag naming SBB campers. Ang mga youth volunteers na tinatawag na ‘Big Brother o Big Sister’ naman ang umaalalay sa mga guro, at sa bawat isang guro sa klase ay may katapat na pitong youth volunteers,” confided Annalie Edday, QUEST 10 │

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Program Manager of the Office of the Governor in Sarangani. She continued: “DepEd ang nagdevelop ng reading modules, QUEST ang sponsor sa Teachers’ and Youth Volunteers’ Trainings habang ang Alcantara Foundation ang namimigay ng pinansiyal na pangangailangan sa lesson plan guides at iba pang materyales para sa volunteers. Ang Samahang Kabataan sa mga munisipyo ang sponsor sa 2-day Volunteer Training sa kani-kaniyang munisipyo, habang ang Samahang Kabataan sa mga barangay ang sponsor ng meryenda sa mga bata, guro at youth volunteers sa 15 na araw.” Indeed, even the most humble of efforts, when done sincerely and with the goal of helping others can go a long way. And in Sarangani, the teacher and youth volunteers work together on all classroom exercises. “Mga higit kumulang na 60 SBB campers na incoming Grade 3 ang sumali ‘nung bakasyon ng 2012, mga 100 kung kasama ang incoming Grade 2. Gumawa kami ng daily planning of activities, at nag imprenta kami ng daily worksheets para ma assess namin kung may pagbabago sa reading skill ng bawat bata,” teacher-volunteer for five summers Rosemarie Nacion said. Going the extra mile for the pupils, Rosemarie recalled: “Tinutukan namin ng

husto ang dalawang bata. Pinagtulungan namin ng mga youth volunteers upang sila ay makapagbasa. Masayang-masaya kami at natuto sila.” Rosemarie taught at Maitum Elementary School, Old Poblacion, Sarangani last summer but she is a regular teacher at Malalag Central Elementary School, Maitum, Sarangani. On some days after classes, the ates and the kuyas or the youth volunteers would just laze around with the kids. “Nagkukutuhan pa nga yang mga yan habang naka kandong ang mga bata sa mga youth volunteers. Walang hiyaan at lahat nagkakatuwaan at nagtutulungan dahil sa SBB,” Ariel Decena, chief-of-staff of Sarangani Governor Miguel “Migs” Dominguez said. The Sarangani Big Brother has become so successful DepEd Undersecretary for Regional Operations Rizalino Rivera has declared it worthy to become a national program soon. The QUEST is an umbrella program of the provincial government of Sarangani that aims for reform strategies like increasing awareness of the state of education in the province, supporting its public school teachers and improving the performance of elementary pupils. SBB is just one among QUEST’s noble projects in Sarangani. QUEST is led by Governor Dominguez with technical guidance from Synergeia Foundation.

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IMPLEMENTATION AND TRANSITION MANAGEMENT SCHEMATIC IMPLEMENTATION IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

GRADE SCHOOL JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

GRADE 12

GRADE 5

GRADE 10 GRADE 4

GRADE 9 GRADE 8 GRADE 7

First batch to start K to 12 education

GRADE 6

GRADE 11

GRADE 3

The ﬁrst batch of learners who went through the full K to 12 system will graduate on 2024

GRADE 2

GRADE 1 SY 2012-2013

SY 2013-2014

First cohort of of K to 12 Grade 6 and Grade 12 graduates of 2018

SY 2014-2015

SY 2015-2016

SY 2016-2017

SY 2017-2018

Program implementation in public schools is being done in phases starting SY 2012–2013. Grade 1 entrants in SY 2012–2013 are the ﬁrst batch to fully undergo the program, and current 1st year Junior High School students (or Grade 7) are the ﬁrst to undergo the enhanced secondary education program. To facilitate the transition from the existing 10-year basic education to 12 years, DepEd is also implementing the SHS Modeling.

PRIVATE SCHOOL TRANSITION ENTRY AGE

PRE-SCHOOL PROPOSED K to 12

GRADE SCHOOL

JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

OPTIONAL

MANDATORY

7 YEAR ELEMENTARY

HS1

6 YEAR ELEMENTARY

HS1

HS2

PK : PRE KINDER

K: KINDER

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

G10

G11

G12

HS1

HS2

HS3

HS4

HS2

HS3

HS4

HS2

HS3

HS4

HS3

HS4

K1 OR K2: KINDER 1 OR KINDER 2

Private schools craft their transition plans based on: (1) current/previous entry ages for Grade 1 and ﬁnal year of Kinder, (2) duration of program , and most importantly, (3) content of curriculum offered. December 2012

PCDSPO|DEPED|GOV.PH

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Teachers come well prepared by Lawrence Cruz

epEd continues to sharpen the teaching tools of teachers to make them fully-equipped to implement K to 12, a key Basic Education Reform Program that is now being introduced in the country’s public school system. Earlier in the year, 148,882 Grade 1 and Grade 7 teachers went into training to be able to teach the enhanced curriculum of the K (Kindergarten) + 12 Basic Education Curriculum (BEC). The training program covers 73,665 Grade 1 and 70,227 Grade 7 teachers. The new curriculum for Grade 1 and 7 was implemented starting school year 2012 to 2013. Subject area convenors and curriculum writers as well as trainers on Mother Tongue-Based Education from DepEd regional and division offices handled the training of trainers for the implementation of the Grade 1 curriculum. Half the trainers for Grade 7 curriculum came from teacher education institutions, centers of excellence and centers of development in education. The other half were expert trainers on each subject area from DepEd regions.

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Over 3,000 participants composed of 1,545 Grade 7 trainers and 1,478 elementary trainers attended the training on Filipino, English, Mathematics, Science, Health, Music, Arts and Physical Education, and Araling Panlipunan learning areas. They are expected to comprise the national core of trainers on the K + 12 curriculum. Br. Armin acknowledged that the transition to a 12-year system would be difficult but noted that the Philippines is already delayed in keeping up with global standards. “What we’re looking at now is how best to streamline and implement it. Change, a deviation from the norms, is understandably difficult and this is what we really strive to work on together. It’s not possible for change to be painless,” Br. Armin said. “Yes, it’s difficult. But it’s always our job to innovate and improve our way of teaching,” Maria Luz Cruz, a Grade 7 teacher of Rizal National High School in Pasig City said.

Additional trainings According to the Department, a series of training programs will still follow and it still has ample time of three to four months before the second semester starts. December 2012

skills up

DepEd developed a curriculum for Grade 7 teachers that embodied a “spiraling approach” where different subjects like physics, biology, chemistry and Earth Science will be tackled. Under the old curriculum, Earth Science is taught in the first year, Biology in the second, Chemistry in the third and Physics in the last year.The same goes with Mathematics, where basic concepts of General Math, Algebra, Geometry and Trigonometry are integrated into one. “These are no longer separate subjects since in real life, we are not applying them separately,” Br. Armin said. For Grade 1, on the other hand, subjects will be taught for the first time in the pupil’s mother tongue while subjects like Health and Science will be integrated with other subjects.

Skills training for science teachers Meanwhile, the DepEd allocated about P30 million to subsidize a program for the enhancement of the skills of teachers assigned to more than 100 Special Science Elementary Schools (SSES) in the country. “The enhancement of the capability of science teachers is a critical input in producing high-caliber science students. It is important that we invest in the enrichment of our teachers’ December 2012

mentoring skills, especially in the field of sciences because it will have a bearing on the kind of science-oriented graduates we produce,” said Br. Armin. Roughly 40 percent of the total SSES subsidy is meant for teacher conferences, trainings, seminars and immersions. Some 25 percent, or P6.75 million, of the amount has been set aside for student activities, including leadership training, workshops, educational trips and investigative projects. Meanwhile, the DepEd also partnered with the Philippine Science High School System (PSHSS) and the Department of Science and Technology-Science Education Institute (DOSTSEI) in training some 1,530 Grade 7 (First Year High School) teachers of English, Science, and Mathematics from science high schools. The training is under the Upgrading Program: Learning Institute for Teachers Project of PSHSS. This is in line with the Department’s thrust to fully prepare teachers for K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum which seeks to produce globally competitive and science and technologyoriented graduates.

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feature

Jun pays it forward by Maribel Cabasal

Office in Malacanang. Later, he became President and Chief Executive Officer of ASK Ventures Trading Corporation, a Japanese firm that manufactured car parts in Subic, Olongapo. Inch by inch, Jun began to realize his dreams until he found himself in a temporary setback - he went into a joint-venture which failed miserably. Knocked down but not out, Jun said: “Hindi nila nakayanang agawin ang tunay kong kayamanan, ang aking edukasyon, kaya nakabangon akong muli.”

Falling down, going up

n 1994, when Jovencio “Jun” Tacio Jr., ran away from Nuevo Trabajo San Luis, Agusan del Sur, he thought he would never look back - but he did.

Jun, a Manobo school dropout at 19 was working in the farm of Nuevo Trabajo, San Luis, Agusan del Sur. Being the eldest in the family, his father did not allow Jun to enroll in high school because he was needed in the farm. He raised vegetables, did kaingin, logging and hunting. For years, he remained in the farm yet harboring bigger ambitions. “There was more to life than working the land from sunup to sundown,” he always thought.

A&E unknown In 1999, he took the Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E) exam but 14 │

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failed twice. He made it on the third attempt. He credits his initial gains in educating himself to his Instructional Manager (IM) Cachola “Ola” CruzRamos.“Bukod sa social skills, communication skills, problem solving at iba pang kaalaman galing kay Ma’am Ola at iba pang mga guro, may bridging program pa kami noon, bago ako pumasok sa kolehiyo,” Jun said. Jun continued: “Nagpunta ako sa ibat-ibang unibersidad para mag-enroll sa kolehiyo pero ayaw akong tanggapin noon kasi hindi pa kilala ang A&E. Pinadala ni Ma’am Ola sa akin yung Memorandum of Agreement ng DepEd at Commission on Higher Education (CHED) at saka lamang ako tinanggap ng Technological Institute of the Philippines (TIP) sa Quezon City. Jun took up Bachelor of Science in Commerce major in Management during the day and worked as a security guard at night. He graduated in 2003. He worked at the Youth Affairs

Today, Jun works as external auditor in various companies, owns an accounting firm, is a wifi internet service provider (ISP) in Imus, Cavite, and owns the Emmanuel Technological Institute of Computer Studies in Imus, Cavite. He is on a roll but never forgets that his good fortune started with passing the A&E test. As his way of paying forward, he offers a 50 percent discount to A & E passers who enroll in his school. “All they need is an endorsement letter from their instructional manager (IM) and the principal. Hinahanapan ko rin ng sponsor ang mga ALS graduates ko para magkaroon sila agad ng trabaho o sariling negosyo pagkatapos ng kanilang pag aaral,” Jun shared. He has since returned to his hometown in Agusan del Sur to share his life story and his blessings with the Manobos. In his talk, Jun never fails to mention how education changed his life. As a result of Jun’s testimonies, School Principal Joey Bebero observed that there was a big turnout in the school enrolment of Nuevo Trabajo. Not content, he appealed to the local government officials and the tribal chieftain to give incentives to families who enroll their kids in school. The results were tangible: the LGU gave a monthly cavan of rice to every student for one year while the provincial government gave a carabao to the family of each student. Overjoyed, Datu Angkie, a local chieftain of the Manobos also donated 100 hectares of his farmland to the community. December 2012

pluma ng diwa

Tuloy ang Pasko ni Jason Villena

Sa dami ng mga problema ng kalamidad at gulo labis ng pagtaas ng presyo’t magkabilang iskandalo. Sa bigat ng mga pasanin halos di na makatayo naiisip mo na ba minsan kung tuloy pa kaya ang Pasko? Ang iilan na umaasang may pagbabagong darating magtatapos na ang taon eto’t naghihintay pa rin. Kung ang lahat-lahat ng ito ay iyong siseryosohin kung hindi sa punerarya sa ospital ka dadalhin. Ngunit sa tuwing madarama ang hangin na lumalamig tila medyo gumagaan ang nagsisikip kong dibdib. At kapag ang christmas songs parati nang naririnig ang puso kong nalulungkot ay sumisigla ang pintig. Tunay nga na kakaiba kapag Pasko’y malapit na kahit kapos at walang pera lahat ng tao’y masaya.

July 2012 December 2012

Kahit marami sa atin halos walang maihanda ang lahat ay nakangiti maging bata o matanda. Tradisyon na ang magbigay at tumanggap ng christmas gift walang kaso kung magkano may kamahalan man o cheap basta’t bukal sa iyong loob hindi plastik, hindi pilit kaligayang magbigay di maghangad ng kapalit. Pansamantalang hihinto ang kaguluhan sa mundo. ito ang kapangyarihan ng espirito ng Pasko. Ang may samaan ng loob himalang nagkakasundo tuluyang nagkakalapit ang dating magkakalayo. Ang mga nangibang bansang matagal nang nanabik na sa kanilang mga pamilya’y matiwasay na makabalik. Makasama ang minamahal kahit pa ba sa isang saglit ang tanging pinakaaasam at hinihiling na christmas gift.

Sa panahon natin ngayon tunay na biyaya’y madalang subalit ang mga problema’y sa dami ay di mo na mabilang. Ngunit dapat lang isipin na kahit paminsan-minsan limutin ang suliranin at ang Pasko’y ipagdiwang.

Paliwanag ng Tula Matapos ang isang taon ng mga problema at pagsubok, tila ang Pasko ang nagsilbing pansamantalang gamot sa ating pagal na katawan at isipan. Ito ang nagsisilbing dahilan upang sumandali nating kalimutan ang ating mga pasanin sa buhay. Tuwing sasapit ang Pasko tunay na ang nangingibabaw lang na emosyon ay ang saya at galak na makikita sa ating mga maaliwalas na mukha at mararamdaman sa ating panatag na pudo. Ito mismo ang simbolo ng Pasko: ang magsaya at magdiwang sa pagsilang ng nag-iisang tagapagligtas.

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DO62 Download at www.deped.gov.ph

“This DepED Order recognizes the faults of the past. It is an invitation for us to change our perspective – the glasses that we normally use to see reality – and exchange that with a perspective that allows us to really be inclusive. Furthermore, it is an invitation to learn with, not just to teach in, indigenous communities that have always been on the sidelines.” BR. ARMIN A. LUISTRO FSC Remarks during the signing of DO62 August 8, 2011

Indigenous Peoples Education Office Department of Education G/F Mabini Building Meralco Avenue, Pasig City