educNEWS June 2012 by DepEd Philippines

educNEWS

VOL. I NO. 6 / JUNE 2012

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

School days are here again R O F E

T L O N A

brotherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brew

Education as the common thread

s you read this, the annual Brigada Eskwela and the Oplan Balik Eskwela would have been successfully concluded. That means more than 20 million public school students have turned up for the school opening and were warmly received by school officials with a smile. There were many reasons to smile as were the number of partners who gave a helping hand to make sure that preparations for the school opening and that such is actually done hitch-free and with optimum efficiency. When I was asked what problems may arise during the opening of classes, I said that I hope none because all education stakeholders from the government and the private sector have joined hands to plug possible holes and make this annual event as seamless as possible. Indeed, we have the DTI which made sure that prices of quality school supplies are available at a discounted price. The PNP pesonnel have made sure that our children and school personnel are safe, with a help desk, to boot, in every school.

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DPWH supervised the completion of classrooms and cleared road obstructions. To ensure that students and school personnel are given proper information on health issues, the DOH disseminated health advisories in schools while safe and accessible public transportation was made available by the DOTC. The DILG ensured the involvement of the local government in school opening even as the MMDA worked extra hard to manage traffic and flooding in the streets. So did PAGASA which provided timely weather condition advisory. The private sector providing basic services also made sure that there is water in the tap and that power supply remains uninterrupted. All went well because everybody cared. Every agency whether public or private pitched in because we are all education stakeholders. There is a common thread that binds these key players. We are bound not only by our shared high regard for education but also by our concern for the welfare of the youth who, in the future, will impel the success of our nation. I look forward to seeing you all as I make my usual rounds this school year! June 2012

educNEWS EDITORIAL TEAM

contents

ANNA CRISTINA M. GANZON editorial adviser MARIBEL P. CABASAL associate editor MELINDRE B. EGLORIA FLORELYN M. MORADA LEMUEL C. VALLES LAWRENCE D. CRUZ JASON O. VILLENA staff writers LEMUEL C. VALLES creative director ELINETTE B. DELA CRUZ layout artist JASON O. VILLENA graphic artist EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION DIVISION EDUCATIONAL AUDIO-VISUAL DIVISION photography

02 Brother’s brew 04 Editorial Free Education demands responsibility 05 Feature Meet Asec. Elena Ruiz 06 Feature ESC: Lifeline for high school education 07 Feature Strictly no collection in public schools - Luistro 08 Banner story 20-M students troop to public schools 10 Feature The challenge of Multigrade Education 12 Thematic Story 2012 Brigada Eskwela focuses on school hygiene, indigenous people 13 OK to 12 Count me in! 14 Feature 2012 Palarong Pambansa in action 15 Pluma ng Diwa It’s More Fun Studying in the Philippines

educNEWS

VOL. I NO. 6 / JUNE 2012

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

School days are here again OR T F LE NO SA

June 2012

About the cover Students of Old Balara Elementary School, Quezon City are excited on their first day of class.

15 School Calendar

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

Free education demands responsibility It is provided in Art. 14, Sec. 2 (par. 2) of the Constitution that “The State shall establish and maintain a system of free public education for the elementary and high school levels. Without limiting the natural right of parents to rear their children, elementary education is compulsory for all children of school age.” On June 4, some 20.47 million pre-school, elementary and high school students are expected to troop to public schools across the country when classes formally reopen after the two-month summer break. Of the number, 1.67 million are in pre-school, 13.23 million are elementary pupils and 5.58 million are high school students, figures that Secretary Armin Luistro said are 3.8 percent higher than the previous year. Starting this school year, DepEd will introduce the Grade 1 and Grade 7 or first year high school curricula, thus the start of a wideranging reform in the country’s basic education system. Observers say that the K to 12 is by far the most radical and comprehensive reform

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program since the introduction of the public school system more than a hundred years ago. Also, beginning this school year, multilingual education will be formally adopted from preschool until Grade 3 even as the universal free kindergarten in public schools was institutionalized in school year 2011-2012. Small steps at a time until we reach the big goal. K to 12, at this point, needs a legislative support by way of an enabling law and its concomitant funding even as it enlists the support of parents, the community, the industries and other educational institutions. K to 12 is still a work in progress. It is not a perfect solution nor does it have all the answers to questions pertaining to quality education. But together, and with an open mind, we can give it a chance to work. It is also important that our students do their part to ensure that they get the optimum benefit of free education in public schools. Give back by studying hard and taking education seriously. That is the student’s responsibility in exchange for getting a free education. June 2012

feature

Meet Asec Elena R. Ruiz

lena R. Ruiz is the Assistant Secretary for Programs and Projects

She adheres to the highest tenets of professionalism, integrity and commitment as an educator, civil servant, researcher and manager in the public school system. Ruiz completed her Master of Arts in English at the University of the East and the academic requirements for Ed. D in Educational Management at Centro Escolar University. She is a Diplomate in Applied Linguistics. She rose from the ranks in the Education Department. From a secondary school teacher, she moved to become the English department head, assistant secondary school principal, secondary school principal, assistant schools division superintendent in Manila, schools division superintendent in Makati, until she became the officer-in-charge Regional Director of the National Capital Region. Her special trainings include a Management Development Program for DepEd at the Asian Institute of Management in 2008; International Convention on Information and Communication Technology education in Florida in 2001; and International Conference on Education Challenges in the World Community of the 21st Century at SEAMEO-Innotech in 1998. She has held important positions in DepEd committees, working for reforms in the educational system. Her positions of responsibility

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on numerous international committees are of the greatest value. Some of her latest seminars and conferences include a Planning Conference Workshop on Human Resources; BESRA Integration Workshop; Division Education Development Plan (DEDP) Preparation Seminar-Workshop; Training Seminar on the Revised Rules and Procedures, School Discipline, PTCA Cooperative/School Canteen; and the Education Congress. Among the latest seminars and conferences abroad are the following: Theory of Constraints in Education in Plock, Poland; 42nd Strategies in Language Learning and Teaching, RELC, Singapore; Asia-Europe Foundation Conference in Barcelona, Spain; and presented a paper, entitled, “ICT in Philippine Classrooms” in Barcelona, Spain. She attended educational study tours in China, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Australia, Paris and in the USA giving her a vast knowledge on the educational system of the world. Ruiz’ academic background, familiarity with the government bureaucracy, long years of advocacy with the department, and sincere commitment to public service augur well for a competent service at the Office for Programs and Projects. This will serve DepEd well in its numerous programs, particulary the K to 12 curricular reform.

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feature

ESC: Lifeline for high school education by Florelyn “Cherry” Morada

raduates of public elementary schools are now provided with better opportunity to get their secondary education in private schools through the Education Service Contracting (ESC). Starting this school year, incoming first year ESC grantees outside of the National Capital Region (NCR) will receive an increased subsidy of P6,500 from the previous year’s P5,500.

ESC beneficiaries in the NCR get the same subsidy of P10,000 per year. The subsidy for those in NCR is higher because private schools charge higher tuition fees than in the other regions. Secretary Armin Luistro, through DepEd Order No. 35, series of 2012 stated that this year, the DepEd will expand the coverage of the ESC, as it starts to phase out the Education Voucher System (EVS) by school year 2014-2015. “To decongest public secondary schools, the ESC shall be expanded to include the Open High School (OHS) Program so that more students can access secondary education,” Bro. Armin said (see related story on page 7). “Maganda ang programang ESC ng DepEd dahil nakatulong nang malaki sa pagpapaaral ng anak ko sa pribadong paaralang sekondarya. Ang sampung libong pisong binibigay taun-taon ay malaking kabawasan sa tuition ng anak ko,” said Chona Arididon, a mother of a grantee who just graduated from high school at Arellano University, Pasig last March. Josephine Aseo, whose son has just finished secondary education at Divine World High School, Sanchez Mira, Cagayan commented, “Buti na lang may ESC kundi di ko kakayanin magbayad 6│

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ng tuition fee ng anak ko sa private high school.” The parents of ESC grantees wish that the funds would be released earlier and not at the end of the last quarter of the fiscal year because the tuition fees paid in advance can no longer be refunded. “Nakatutulong nang malaki ang P10,000 lalung-lalo na kung maibibigay nang mas maaga para maibawas na agad sa kabuuang tuition fees at liliit na ang babayarang installment,” said Lilibeth Mesias, mother of Angelica Faith Mesias, a second year student at Our Lady of Perpetual Help School, Santolan, Pasig City.

Legal bases and objectives The ESC was crafted in conformity with Republic Act 6728, otherwise known as the “Government Assistance to Private Education (GASTPE). The Fund for Assistance to Private Education (FAPE), a perpetual trust fund created by and between the Philippine and US governments was contracted by DepEd to manage the GASTPE. Incepted in 1989, ESC aims to democratize and improve access to quality secondary education through government extension of financial assistance to deserving elementary school graduates who wish to pursue their secondary education in private schools. It also seeks to reduce class size to manageable levels in public high schools especially those with classrooms and teacher shortage. According to the education chief, the beneficiaries are given certificates which serve as evidence of the government’s commitment to support their education in private schools. “This is true for as long as beneficiaries meet the requirements for regular promotion to the succeeding school

years until they graduate,” Luistro stressed. Owen Milambiling, Supervising Education Program Specialist, Bureau of Secondary Education (BSE) said the bureau has proposed a 6.2 billion GASTPE budget for this year. Target beneficiaries of ESC are sixty percent incoming first year graduates from public elementary schools and forty percent graduates from private elementary schools. “The total grantees for ESC during school year 2011 to 2012 was 637,505. For school year 2012 to 2013, we have allocated a total 381,072 slots for first year high school,” Milambiling said.

Grant coverage

The ESC grants start at the first year level and cover the four years of secondary education. No grants shall be awarded at higher year levels. It is deemed renewed for the next school year if the student is promoted to the next year level and enrolls in the same school. No maintaining grade shall be required for retention in the program. The grant shall be terminated if the student drops out for non-health reasons, not promoted to the next level, has not applied for an official leave and does not re-enroll the following year, suspended for more than two weeks or expelled by the school for disciplinary violation, or transfers to a non-ESCparticipating school. A grantee may be allowed to continue enjoying the grant for reasons of force majeure (uncontrollable event or unexpected event). Transfer of grantee to another ESC participating school within and outside the NCR is allowed. If the transfer is outside NCR, the amount of the grant is reduced accordingly. However, transfer into NCR from other regions is not permitted. June 2012

Strictly no collection in public schools - Luistro ESC expands open high school program The Department of Education has included the Open High School Program (OHSP) to the Education Service Contracting commencing school year 2012 to 2013. The amount of grant for ESC in the OHSP shall be 6,500 per grantee for the first year level which constitutes full payment for the entire academic year. Transfer to and from the formal classes and OHS shall be allowed provided that the grantees in the OHS are in the same lessons as those in the formal classes; and the grantees are willing to pay the difference between the tuition fee and the ESC grant. Under the ESC in OHSP, there are two groups of students – those who are in the formal system where learning is through direct instruction in the classroom; and those in the alternative delivery mode (ADM) where blended learning is provided through a combination of guided instruction and off-school learning or home schooling, or in exceptional cases, independent learning through home schooling. The ESC beneficiaries in the OHSP are classified in two levels: The Home Program which is designed for public school grantees who belong to the top two percent based on mean percentage score (MPS) in the grade 6 National Achievement Test (NAT) of the incoming grade 7 students or those with an average of 90 percent and above in grade 6. Students in this program have the option to undertake blended learning or full home schooling. They also have the opportunity for acceleration. The Regular Program is intended for ESC grantees who belong to the upper average ten percent based on MPS grade 6 NAT of incoming freshmen or those with an average of 85 to 89 percent.

June 2012

by Lawrence Cruz

o free the parents from financial burden and make education more accessible to as many school-aged children, Br. Armin Luistro has reiterated the strict enforcement of the no collection policy in all public schools.

“In no case shall non-payment of voluntary school contributions or membership fees be made a basis for non-admission, non-promotion or non-issuance of clearance to a student by the school concerned,” said Br. Armin through DepEd Order No. 41 series of 2012. The Order given to undersecretaries, assistant secretaries, directors, schools superintendents and heads of schools, was released two weeks before the opening of classes. This was in response to complaints from parents on various fees being collected during enrolment day. “ How can we democratize access to education and increase enrolment if parents are bogged down by fees? Let them come and bring their kids to school,” said Bro Armin. Carrie Yaptangco, mother of a Grade 4 pupil in Cainta, Rizal commented, “buti naman at iniutos ito ng Kagawaran ng Edukasyon , mahirap sana sa akin dahil tatlo ang anak kong papasok ngayong taon.” “No fees shall be collected from school children in Kindergarten up to Grade 4 anytime during the School Year 2012 to 2013.No fees shall also be collected from Grade 5 pupils up to high school students from June to July 2012. However, starting August 2012 until the end of the School Year, the following fees may be collected on a voluntary basis: Boy Scout or Girl Scout (P50 per learner), Red Cross (P35 per learner), anti-TB (P5 per learner), Parents-Teachers Association (reasonable amount to be determined by the Parents-Teachers Association general assembly), school publication (P60 for elementary pupil and P90 for high school) and school organization (based on existing policies),” the Order stated. The secretary further ordered that identification cards shall be provided to students at no cost. The school head or principal shall fund the identification cards from the school’s Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE).Meanwhile, the wearing of a school uniform is not required in public schools. Students with existing uniforms may continue using these uniforms if they so desire. “Maraming salamat at nalaman kong pwedeng gamitin yung lumang uniporme. Aba, malaking bawas sa gastusin ko yan,” was the reply of Grace Yumul, mother of a Grade 5 transferee student from Sampaloc, Manila. The DepEd announced that violation of the Order by any teacher, school official or personnel and the PTA shall be dealt with accordingly.

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banner story

chools nationwide opened their doors to over 20 million public school students who flocked to their classrooms on the first day of class on June 4. DepEd officials led by Secretary Armin Luistro have put in place all contingency measures to ensure a smooth school opening. According to Asst. Secretary Jesus Lorenzo Mateo, Oplan Balik Eskwela (OBE) Task Force chairperson, DepEd mobilized other government line and service agencies, law enforcers, local government units and nongovernment organizations in a nationwide OBE campaign for a glitch-free opening of classes. Two weeks earlier, schools nationwide were spruced up through the Brigada Eskwela or National Schools Maintenance Week. “The annual cleanup and repair drive focused on the improvement of toilets and wash facilities-to give emphasis on the importance of school hygiene. Another focus is the improvement of the schools of the indigenous peoples (IPs),” Mateo said. Textbooks

Serve with a smile campaign Year after year, these familiar school opening scenarios get replayed: teachers instructing the students on which classrooms they should go to, children being escorted by police officers in crossing the street, and parents giving their preschool kids extra attention. Actions that manifest the Filipino peoples’ high regard for education. There is another welcome change. This year, DepEd is introducing the “Wear a Smile Campaign” which urges school personnel to be in a positive disposition and to flash a smile to make the students feel welcome. “A simple smile lessens the nervousness of kids and will make them feel well at ease,” said Education Secretary Br. Armin Luistro. So what can we expect from our public schools this school year? 8│

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“We are working double time to accomplish the delivery of the 63,385,573 textbooks and achieve the desired one textbook for every pupil ratio in public schools this school year,” said Carolina Rivera, Chief, Procurement and Monitoring Division of the Instructional Materials Council Secretariat (IMCS). The books which have been distributed with universal titles include English 1 to 6, Filipino 1 to 6, Sibika 1 to 6, Araling Panlipunan for 1st year to 4th year, Science and Technology for 1st year to 4th year, and Physical Education and Health for 2nd year.

School armchairs According to Engr. Annabelle Pangan, officer-in-charge of the DepEd Physical Facilities and Schools Engineering Division (PFSED), under the 2011 Basic Educational Facilities Fund (BEFF), up for delivery are 439,785 elementary armchairs, 276,664 secondary armchairs and 15,539 teachers’ June 2012

20-M students troop to public schools by Maribel Cabasal

table and chair set for all the regions nationwide. The full delivery target is August of 2012 thereby allowing DepEd to achieve a zero backlog in seats.

Classrooms Based on the School Building Program of the department, under school year 2010 and 2011, there are 17,998 classrooms nationwide that are either completed or ongoing and are expected to be finished by the end of the year. “For 2012, a total of 29,223 classrooms are targeted to be completed from various funds sources. These targets are in various stages of implementation,” Pangan said.

Teachers Asst. Secretary Mateo said that the department is seriously looking into filling up the national shortage of teachers. “With the 2012 budget, we are going to create additional 16,000 teacher and teacher-related items -thus, bringing down the teacher shortage of 132,564 to about June 2012

116,564. However, if we consider the locally-hired teachers of 45,000 and continue the Volunteer Teachers’ Program of about 23,900, the 2011 to 2012 actual shortage would only be about 47,584,” Mateo said. “Interventions are in place and we will continue to explore different avenues to fill up all the essential learning resource gaps,” Mateo added.

Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education According to Owen Milambiling, Supervising Education Program Specialist of the Bureau of Secondary Education, there were 637,505 Education Service Contracting (ESC) grantees last year. The bureau has proposed a 6.2 billion GASTPE budget this school year for the incoming 381,072 slots for first year. “I am confident that with all the preparations done by DepEd, and with the support of our partners, we can serve all our children well and reach our targets,” Brother Armin said.

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The challenge of Multigrade Education by Maribel Cabasal

hat can DepEd do when a school has only 12 enrollees in Grade 5 and 6 enrollees in Grade 6? What is DepEd’s option when a school could not meet the required number of students to organize a single grade class? Does DepEd close its doors on these children or send them to other schools?

Definitely not! When there are only a few enrollees in a school, and the nearest complete elementary school is located in the next far-away barangay, DepEd offers the multigrade (MG) class under the Multigrade Program in Philippine Education (MPPE). The MPPE is an education delivery to democratize access and improve the quality of elementary education through the completion of incomplete schools and the organization of multigrade classes. 10 │

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A Multigrade class is composed of children in several (two to three) grade levels handled by one teacher for an entire schoolyear. MG schools combine students of different ages, developmental levels, needs, and with different skills and abilities, learning together under the guidance of one teacher. MG classes are generally opened in primary schools located in distant and sparsely populated areas or in barangays with decreasing enrolment.

Travails of a multigrade teacher MG adviser Rex Liwanag Mirando, 31, of Recto Elementary School, General Luna, Quezon, handles 12 Grade 5 pupils and 12 Grade 6 pupils. His school is 17 kilometers away from the town proper, mostly populated by farmerparents. Mirando’s first year at Recto Elementary School in 2007 was

marked by shortage of teachers, insufficient funds and dilapidated schoolbuildings. There was an aching poverty around him but despite the challenges, he steadfastly clung to his calling. “I felt that it was my responsibility to teach the pupils at Recto,” he said. He has since relocated his family near the school. “MG teaching is a complex and challenging task because I manage two grade levels at the same time. I struggle to provide learnings to children of different grade levels simultaneously, which is designed for monograde classes, pero masaya ako,” he said. “I do systematic and planned instructional delivery and groupings. So inside the classroom, while I teach a group of children on English or Math, I ask the other group to work independently or work on a group project with a group leader monitoring the activity.” And he went on: “Hindi

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boring ang maging multigrade teacher. I have teacher-directed activities, peer teaching and group work all done simultaneously. I employ a lot of creativity in my teaching and I let my MG students play, work on projects, do experiments and activities, and that makes learning fun.”

Learning from each other The rewards of a Multigrade education far outstrip its drawbacks. The Multigrade Teacher’s Handbook states “that in a Multigrade class, the more skilled pupils assist their classmates who are only starting to learn. When pupils turn to one another for help, they eventually learn that helping one another is important not just in the learning process but also in daily life.” Another advantage is that children in the lower grade levels can benefit from the positive models of the June 2012

children in higher grade levels in the same classroom. According to Jaime Bunga, Bureau of Elementary Education senior education program specialist and incharge of the MPPE, as of 2011, there are 12,398 MG schools in the country. “The 12, 398 MG schools is about one third of the 38,499 elementary schools all over the country. It shows that MG schools comprise roughly 34 percent of the total number of public elementary schools,” Bunga said.

Multigrade teachers also have needs There are about 24,000 multigrade teachers servicing approximately 900,000 pupils. Some MG teachers even teach from Grade 1 to Grade 6 levels. In terms of enrolment, multigrade schools encompass approximately 12 percent of the total number of pupils in all public elementary schools.

However, many MG teachers are still untrained in MG teaching. Some may have been trained but only in monograde pedagogy. “If we really want changes to happen in schools especially at the level of the pupils, there must be innovation in the teacher training, the administrative and pedagogical support and the school relationship with the community. This requires specific strategies in the way the department channels its funding and other support services to MG schools,” Bunga explained. Another concern is the grant of Special Hardship Allowance (SHA) for MG in consonance with Section 19 of Republic Act 4670 ( Magna Carta for Public School Teachers). “Many MG teachers are not able to avail of the SHA due to budgetary constraints, so SHA must be given priority and be included in the yearly General Appropriations Act (GAA),” Bunga added.

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thematic story

2012 Brigada Eskwela focuses on school hygiene, indigenous people by Florelyn Cherry B. Morada

The Department of Education (DepEd) has called on for greater participation of community stakeholders for this year’s National Schools Maintenance Week popularly known as the Brigada Eskwela. It is a nationwide voluntary effort that brings together teachers, parents and community members for minor repairs in public schools to prepare the learning environment for students, in time for the opening of classes. “For this year, partners were encouraged to support the improvement of toilets and wash facilities as part of the DepEd’s effort to strengthen awareness on the importance of hygiene and sanitation among students as well as improvement of schools of indigenous communities,” said Secretary Armin Luistro in DepEd Memorandum No. 56, series of 2012. In response to the call, Smart Communications has donated school supplies to one hundred schools in indigenous communities. The Chamber of Mines has provided wash facilities at Justo Lucban Elementary School, Paco, Manila. All systems go

Robina Corporation that provided the snacks while councilors, kagawad, and business establishments in the barangay gave donations in kind. The barangay health workers, members of International Baptist Church and Couples for Christ, Eusebio scholars, Bliss community, transport group of West Bank Floodway, parents, children and youth also helped,” said Visaya. “Naglinis kami sa paaralan, naglagay ng toilet tiles, naglagay ng dalawang tangke ng tubig, nagpintura ng bakod at nagbigay kami ng copier para hindi na lumabas pa ang mga bata para magpakoypa,” said Amelia Bansil, Parents-Teachers Association (PTA) treasurer at Bulihan National High School, Silang, Cavite. “We made house–to-house campaign to encourage families to support us in the undertaking,” said Fe Lustañas, teacher at La Huerta Elementary School, Parañaque. Lustañas added that they invited local partners and stakeholders like Jollibee and SPI Global Technologies who have given huge cash donations to their school. The PTA officers, non-government organizations, local government units and the alumni were also invited to support Brigada Eskwela,” added Lustañas.

The school heads, teachers and parents have worked hand-in-hand in the preparation of Brigada Eskwela in their respective schools. They made the activity a festive event. Myrna Visaya, principal at Maybunga Elementary School Annex, Maybunga, Pasig City said that she assigned areas and schedule of work for volunteers. “Our sponsors are Captain Junjun Concepcion who donated shirts for the volunteers, Monde M.Y. San and

Works done

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During the weeklong activity, volunteers painted roofs, ceilings, walls among others; repaired comfort rooms, wash facilities, leaking pipes; fixed electrical wirings or connections; repaired and repainted chairs, desks, furniture; cleaned school grounds; repaired or replaced broken windows, jalousies and doors; replaced school signs; and attended to other maintenance needs of the school. June 2012

Ok to 12 DepEd trains K to 12 trainers

Count me in! by Lemuel Valles

“It is an honor to be chosen as one of K to 12 trainers and to be an instrument in the realization of this program. It is a great challenge for me to ensure that K to 12 will be implemented effectively in all public schools nationwide,” said Erlinda Barcelo, division coordinator in Filipino and MLE-MTB of Cotabato City during the recently concluded series of training of trainers on the significant features and core elements of the K to 12 basic education curriculum.

Some of the stakeholders who joined in the Brigada Eskwela National Capital Region caravan are the following: Petron Corporation, Chamber of Mines, ABS-CBN, Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Department of Budget and Management, Philippine Long Distance Telecommunications, Philippine National Bank, Philippine Batteries Incorporated, Philippine Business for Social Progress, Australian Aid, Smart Communications, Tutoring Club, TV 5, US Aid – EQUALLS, Medicall, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Uniliver Philippines, Philamlife, Globe Telecommunications, Kabisig ng Lahi, among others. Effectiveness Brigada Eskwela has a hundred percent participation from public elementary and high schools across the country. To date, it has generated some P 2.02 billion in terms of donations in kind and manhours which could have otherwise been drawn from DepEd’s maintenance and other operating expenses. In February 2011, Brigada Eskwela won an Anvil Award of Merit given by the Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP) as a public relations program on a sustained basis under the education category. It was cited for successfully engaging the participation of community stakeholders in repair and clean-up of schools, reminding them that educating the youth is a responsibility of the whole community.

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The string of trainer’s trainings was held at the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) in Tagaytay City and in other higher education institutions in Metro Manila such as the Ateneo de Manila University, University of the Philippines-Diliman, and Philippine Normal University. Each training was scheduled for five days that ran from April 23 to May 4. The DAP participants who were trained to be trainers are subject area convenors and curriculum writers as well as trainers on mother-tongue based education from the DepEd regional and division offices. Half of the trainers for the Grade 7 curriculum are expert trainers from teacher education institutions, centers of excellence and centers of development identifed by DepEd. The other half are expert trainers on each subject area from the DepEd regions. DepEd wants to guarantee that it is doing everything it can to ensure the successful roll out of the first parts of the curriculum for Grades 1 and 7 in all public elementary and secondary schools nationwide this June. The 1,545 Grade 7 trainers and 1,478 Grade 1 trainers were taught on the learning areas such as Filipino, English, Mathematics, Science, Health, Music, Arts and Physical Education, and Araling Panlipunan. They will also serve as national trainers on the K to 12 curriculum. The Bureaus of Elementary and Secondary Education also gave them an orientation on the curriculum framework as well as assesment framework for the elementary and secondary levels. When asked of her thoughts on the Kto12 program, Barcelo said, ”Noong una, magulo ang Kto12 sa akin. Hindi ko nga alam noon kung paano papasok ang Kto12 sa curriculum ng Grade 1 pero ngayon, nauunawaan ko na at kaya ko nang ituro sa mga bata at pati na rin sa mga guro.” DepEd is currently conducting a training program for some 73,655 Grade 1 teachers and 70,227 Grade 7 teachers from public schools who will teach the initial K to 12 curriculum beginning this school year.

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2012 Palarong Pambansa in action

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pluma ng diwa

It’s More Fun Studying in the Philippines Ni Jason Villena

Kahit naliligo sa pawis lagi pa ring nakangiti. Buo man ang mga ngipin at madalas pa nga’y bungi. Maski pa nagsisiksikan at sa ingay nabibingi ang estudyanteng Pilipino ay sadya ngang mapagtimpi. Kahit anong kakulangan ay hindi makahahadlang sa isipang gustong matuto umunlad at magkalaman. Kahit sa lilim lang ng puno umaraw man o umulan ang lahat ay titiisin dunong lang ay madagdagan. Di napapansin ang lungkot, problema at pag-aalala. Enjoy nila ang mag-aral kahit walang baon sa eskuwela.

Ang iskuling sa Pilipinas ay talagang kakaiba sa likod ng kahirapan nakukuha pang tumawa. Kahit liglig at umaapaw ang mga klasrum sa Pinas at kalidad ng edukasyon ay laging tadtad ng pintas. Kahit pa raw mga turo ay lipas na nga at gasgas. Marami nang nahubog dito na dalubhasa at pantas. Kahit pa ang uniporme ay laging luma at bitin. At ang iyong mga gamit Sabi nila’y mumurahin Kahit pa paulit-ulit nila ako ay tanungin. Talagang it’s more fun studying in the Philippines.

Tungkol sa tulang ‘It’s More Fun Studying in the Philippines’ Binuod ng tula ang hirap at sakripisyo ng mga estudyanteng Pilipino, na kahit na talagang kulang ang lahat ng mga bagay upang maitaguyod lang nang maayos ang pag-aaral ay nakukuha paring tumawa at ipagkibit-balikat ang mga kakulangang ito. Na kung iyong pagmamasdan ang isang tipikal na estudyante lalo na sa pampublikong paaralan ay di mo mapapansin na silay nahihirapan, bagkus ang maririnig mo ay ang halakhak at bungisngis. Nagkakasya sa kung ano ang meron...basta meron at natuto. Paminsan-minsan kailangang gumaya din tayo sa mga bata na imbes umangal at mambatikos ay paghusayin nalang ang sarili at makuntento.

School Calendar for SY 2012-2013 Month May

Date 21-26 28

Activity • National Schools Maintenance Week (Brigada Eskwela) • Registration of 5-6 year old children for Kindergarten and Grade 1 at Barangay Centers

28-31

• Oplan Balik Eskwela

1-8

• Oplan Balik Eskwela

4 June 9

• Beginning of Classes SY 2012-2013 • Orientation of Students on the Enhanced Basic Education, K to 12 Program implementation • Distribution of Textbooks and Other Learning Resources • General Assembly • Orientation of Parents and other Stakeholders on the K to 12 Program, Enhanced Basic Education Program (BEP) implementation (Saturday) • Career Exposure/Orientation for Grade 7 and Career Guidance for Grade 10

• Independence Day (Regular Holiday)

• 1st Parent-Teacher Conference - Tracking and Planning of Student Progress (Saturday)

July continued on page 16

June 2012

educNEWS │ 15

School Calendar ... from page 15

Month

August 2012

Date

Activity

2-3

• 1 Quarter Examinations

• Culminating Performance • Distribution of F-138 • 2nd Parent-Teacher Conference Tracking and Planning of Student Progress (Saturday)

• Eid-ul Fit’r (Legal Holiday, Tentative)

• Ninoy Aquino Day (Special Non-working Holiday)

• National Heroes Day (Regular Holiday)

• National Career Assessment Examination (NCAE)

September 2012 11-12 October 2012

20 22-25

November 2012 December 2012 January 2013

February 2013

March 2013

• Mid-Year Assessment and INSET/Semestral Break (For Students Only) • Eid-ul Adha (Special Holiday, Tentative)

• All Saints Day (Special Holiday)

• All Souls Day (Special Non-working Holiday)

• Bonifacio Day (Legal Holiday)

• Start of Christmas Break (Saturday)

• Resumption of Classes (Thursday)

10-11

• 3rd Quarter Examination

• Culminating Performance at the School/Division Levels and Distribution of F-138/4th Parent-Teacher Conference Tracking and Planning for Student Progress (Saturday)

• Early Registration Day (Saturday)

• EDSA People Power Anniversary (Special Holiday for Schools)

• National Achievement Test (NAT) (Secondary - Year IV)

12-13

• National Achievement Test (NAT) (Elementary - Grades III and VI)

14-15

• Final Examinations for Grade VI and Year IV

• Culminating Performance at the School and Regional Levels (Saturday)

20-21

• Final Examinations for Gradesv I-V and Years I-III

18-19

• Graduation

May 2013

• Culminating Performance at the School Level/Distribution of F-138/3rd Parent-Teacher Conference Tracking and Planning for Student Progress (Saturday)

25-29 April 2013

• 2nd Quarter Examinations

• Last Day of Classes • Holy Week

• Araw ng Kagitingan (Regular Holiday)

• Start of Summer Classes (Monday)

• Labor Day (Regular Holiday)

20-25

• National Schools Maintenence Week (Brigada Eskwela)

• End of Summer Classes (Saturday)

• Final Examinations (Monday)