Archive for May, 2012

DepEd warns against unaccredited private schools

(PRESS RELEASE)

The Department of Education (DepEd) orders all its regional offices to submit the list of names and addresses of private schools with government permit to operate as this will serve as guide for parents and students on which private schools to enroll in.

The list will then be posted in all regional and division offices, municipal halls and other conspicuous places to inform the public of the duly recognized and accredited private schools in the country. The deadline for the submission of the list is on May 31.

“We encourage parents to check whether the private school where they intend to enroll their children has the required permits so the department can easily track down unaccredited private schools and pursue immediate action,” said Education secretary Br. Armin A. Luistro FSC.

Luistro added that studying in an unaccredited private school might pose a problem on student’s learning due to a possibly unauthorized curriculum. “If a private school does not go through the process of government accreditation, we are not even sure if they follow the minimum academic standards set by the appropriate government agencies,” explained Luistro.

Pupils and students who had finished an alleged grade/year level in a school without the required permit are advised to take the Philippine Validating Test (PVT) prior to admission to another school to validate the acquired learning gains. PVT is administered at the National Education Testing and Research Center at the DepEd Central Office.

 A master list of private schools with DepEd accreditation is available at the DepEd website, www.deped.gov.ph.

DTI, DepEd offer school supplies discount

(PRESS RELEASE)

Department of Trade and Industry has deployed Diskwento Caravan across the country to give parents and students a chance to buy school supplies at a discounted price of at least ten percent.

The discount caravan started May 15 and will run up to June 28 in various dates and locations nationwide.

Education Secretary Br. Armin A. Luistro FSC said the move is part of the government’s thrust to make available to the public quality school supplies at affordable prices. “With inter-agency coordination and with support from local manufacturers and private business groups we can offer huge discounts on school opening essentials for public schools,” added Luistro.

DTI will publish in national broadsheets the suggested retail price of school supplies to serve as guide by the buying public. Also, it will distribute SRP posters in school supply outlets and in other government offices.  Moreover, its Bureau of Product Standards has advised the public to look for “non-toxic” labels on school supplies which means that the level of toxicity has been approved by the Department of Health. 

Initially, the Diskwento Caravan for Region 6 was held on May 23 at Nueva Valencia Municipal Hall, and May 25 at Region 3 at Pampanga. Region 6 also had the caravan on May 25 at Buena Vista Municipal Hall, May 26 at Balete Town Plaza, May 28 at San Lorenzo Municipal Hall and Business Park, San Jose, Antique, and on May 29 at Iloilo Freedom Grandstand, Jordan Municipal Hall, and Tacloban City, Leyte.

Region 4-A has two more schedules for the month of May. On May 27 at Bay, Los Baños City, Laguna and on May 28-29 at Capitol Grounds, Sta. Cruz, Laguna. Region 11 will hold the caravan on May 28 at Digos, Davao del Sur. The National Capital Region will have the Diskwento Caravan on May 29 at Pasig City Hall, and at Tacloban City, Leyte for the Region 8 leg.  Region IX will close the caravan for the month of May on May 30-31 at Plaza Pershing, Zamboanga City.

The Diskwento Caravan for the month of June is set to kick off on June 1 at Zamboanga Del Norte of Region 9 and on Taguig City of NCR. Region 6 will have a six day-schedule for the caravan on June 5, 6, 8, 15 and 18 at Guimaras and on June 14-16 at Brgy. Villamonte, Taculing, Bacolod City.

On June 11-12, the caravan will be in Cagayan de Oro City and at Davao Oriental on June 15.  Zamboanga City will hold the caravan on June 22.  Region 5 will have the last schedule for the 2012 Caravan on June 26-28 at Polangui, Albay.

DepEd to launch Oplan Balik Eskwela command center

(PRESS RELEASE)

The Department of Education is set to launch the Oplan Balik Eskwela (OBE) Information and Action Center (IAC) on May 28 as part of the department’s goal to ensure a smooth and organized school opening this June.

Aiming to assist the public by providing helpful information, DepEd will set-up the OBE-IAC until June 8, from 7am-6pm daily, including Saturday and Sunday, at the DepEd Central Office. The OBE-IAC will also serve as information and complaints processing and routing mechanism for the opening of classes.

“Oplan Balik Eskwela is one of the flagship projects of DepEd, and we are tapping all our department’s offices as well as our field offices to actively participate in this project. We have to ensure that all is set for the school opening on June 4,” DepEd Secretary Br. Armin A. Luistro FSC said.

Regional directors and schools division superintendents will have to form their own Local Information and Action Center (LIAC) not only to oversee local concerns which will be coordinated to the central office but also to encourage parents and communities to send their children to school.

Command centers will set-up hotlines to receive calls, text and fax messages, and e-mails on complaints, requests and suggestions from parents, students and other concerned citizens. Help desks will also be set-up to accommodate walk-in concerns.

Requests for information or queries may be directed to the OBE-IAC at (02) 636-8641 or e-mail to action@deped.gov.ph.

PEPT deadline this Friday, May 25, 2012

The Philippine Educational Placement Test (PEPT) will be held on June 12, 2012 in all divisions nationwide. Registration for the PEPT will be free.

Registration started last March 5, 2012 and will end this Friday, May 25, 2012. The Division Testing Coordinators are directed to submit the actual number of registrants to the National Educational Testing and Research Center (NETRC) on or before May 31, 2012.

The documentary requirements are Forms 137/138, birth certificate and two (2) 1×1 pictures.

The PEPT is administered to determine the applicant’s grade/year level placement.

See the full text of DepEd Memorandum No. 47, s. 2012 below.

DepEd, partners intensify school opening preparations

(PRESS RELEASE) 

The Department of Education, together with the Oplan Balik Eskwela (OBE) Inter-Agency Task Force, will hold this year’s OBE Command Conference on May 25 to ensure the smooth opening of classes on June 4.

Government agencies and some concessionaires comprise the organization of the Inter-Agency Task Force, with DepEd serving as the lead agency. These include the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), Department of Health (DOH), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Philippine National Police (PNP), Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) and its concessionaires – Manila Water Company Inc. (MWCI) and Maynilad Water Services Inc. (MWSI), Department of National Defense (DND), Philippine Information Agency, and Manila Electric Company (Meralco).

“We have intensified our preparations for the school opening, and the assistance provided by our partner agencies is critical to the success of the Oplan Balik Eskwela,” DepEd Secretary Br. Armin A. Luistro FSC said.

DPWH is tasked to supervise the completion of classrooms being constructed and to conduct the clearing of road obstructions. DTI, on the other hand, is in-charge of monitoring the price stability of school supplies. They have also initiated a Diskwento Caravan nationwide offering school supplies at discounted prices.

To ensure that students and school personnel are given proper information on health issues, the DOH will take charge of the dissemination of health guidelines in schools. Safe and accessible public transportation shall be managed by the DOTC.

Participation of local government units is also of primary importance in the project’s implementation. The DILG will ensure the involvement of the local government and barangays in school opening preparations.

MMDA will control the flow of vehicles as well as flood control to ensure smooth and safe traffic within Metro Manila.

The PNP, Meralco, PAGASA, Maynilad, MWSS, and Manila Water Company are also part of the inter-agency effort.

PNP will take charge of crime prevention especially during the opening of classes; Manila Water and MWSS will ensure that there will be enough water supply in schools; Meralco promises no power interruption and assistance in rewiring of public schools while PAGASA guarantees constant weather updates and advanced forecasts.

As per Executive Order No. 66, series of 2012, PAGASA will also be in-charge of providing information on storm signals, which will be the basis for the suspension of classes. Depending on the storm signal, PAGASA may prescribe suspension of classes for affected grade or year levels. If there is no storm signal, suspension will be made by respective local government units.

Prior to the upcoming command conference, DepEd and the OBE partners conducted the Inter-Agency Convergence Meeting to consolidate efforts initiated by each agency for the school opening and to ensure that each measure undertaken by the convergence partners will be maintained throughout the school year. The meeting was presided by DepEd Assistant Secretary Jesus Lorenzo Mateo.

DepEd will formally set-up the OBE Information and Action Center (IAC) from May 28 to June 8 at the Bulwagan ng Karunungan of the DepEd Central Office in Pasig to provide quick information and response to public complaints and queries regarding the opening of classes.

Oplan Balik Eskwela is the annual campaign for school opening preparation initiated by the Department of Education. OBE seeks to address problems commonly encountered during school opening and aims to ensure that students are properly enrolled and are able to attend school on the first day of classes in June.

DepEd ups subsidy for students in private high schools

(PRESS RELEASE)

Starting school year 2012- 2013, the subsidy for first year students who enrolling private secondary high schools outside the National Capital Region (NCR) under the government’s Education Service Contracting (ESC) program has been increased from P5,500 to P6,500 per annum and every year thereafter.  ESC grantees in other year levels in non-NCR regions will still receive P5,500.

The ESC is a major program of the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASTPE) which provides financial assistance to students for the payment of their tuition fees in private high schools because they cannot be accommodated anymore in public schools due to an excess in enrolled students. It is geared towards reducing the class size to manageable levels in high schools, especially those experiencing shortage of classrooms and teachers.

Education Secretary Br. Armin A. Luistro FSC said GASTPE benefits both public and private schools while making education accessible to as many learners as possible. “To decongest public schools and make learning more conducive, we offer ESC to private schools as a way also to help increase their enrolment. We likewise offer subsidy to teachers of private high schools who participate in the program,” he added.

The management of GASTPE is contracted to the Fund for Assistance to Private Education (FAPE), a perpetual trust fund created by an agreement between the Philippine government and the US government under EO 156 s. 1968 to provide assistance to private education in the country. FAPE is chaired by the DepEd Secretary.

The parents shoulder the balance in excess of the P6,500 subsidy. Because of higher tuition fees charged by private secondary schools in Metro Manila, the subsidy per students in the NCR is P10,000  per annum.

The Education Voucher System (EVS) is a version of ESC, where a voucher is issued in the name of the student- beneficiary. The payment of subsidy under the ESC is channeled directly to the school. EVS started in 2006 as a way to increase enrolment in private high schools which also need government assistance to maintain their viability and remain a government partner in the delivery of education.   

 DepEd is set to expand the coverage of ESC after the EVS is phased out by school year 2014-2015 or as soon as the last batch of present beneficiaries graduates.

 Figures from School Year 2011-2012 show that total government subsidy under both schemes amount to over P4.2 billion.

Luistro said that to date, there are a total of 637,794 ESC grantees while EVS has 59,914 for a total of 697,708 beneficiaries enrolled in 2,580 participating schools nationwide. END

DepEd launches Islamic-friendly and culturally-sensitive curriculum in ARMM

(PRESS RELEASE) 

Starting June this year, an Islamic-friendly and culturally-sensitive curriculum for Muslim learners will be implemented in the Autonomous Region Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) even as the national government continues to allot resources to further train Muslim teachers.

The curriculum was launched recently in Lamitan City, Basilan. The event was attended by DepEd representatives and ARMM officials and the local government unit of Basilan.

There are two types of curriculum prescribed in Madrasah or Muslim educational institutions. The Enriched Curriculum for Public Elementary Schools uses the Arabic Language and Islamic Values Education (ALIVE) taught by qualified asatidz (Muslim teachers) who were trained by DepEd.

The other is the Standard Curriculum for Private Madaris (Muslim schools) which teaches subjects such as Qur’an, Seerah (Life Story of the Prophet), Hadith (Sayings of the Prophet), Aqueedah (conduct), Fiqh (jurisprudence) and Arabic language alongside Science, Math, English, Filipino and Makabayan.

Early this year, Luistro signed a memorandum of agreement with then ARMM Governor Ansarrudin Alonto-Adiong for the implementation of ALIVE curriculum in the ARMM region. 

“We are glad that the Madrasah  ALIVE curriculum will be finally taught in the heartland of Muslim society years after it was first successfully implemented in  seven other regions including the National Capital Region  where there is a sizable Muslim population,” said Education Secretary Br. Armin A. Luistro FSC.

Luistro added that he pursued the implementation of Madrasah curriculum because he believes that education is key to peace and prosperity. It must be noted that Madrasah education is the number three priority in President Aquino’s ten-point education agenda.   

For 2012, Luistro approved the allocation of P300 million to fund various initiatives to widen the implementation of Madrasah and upgrade the training of azatids (Muslim teachers).

Luistro explained that Madrasah education using the ALIVE curriculum aims to integrate Muslim students into mainstream society. “Their education should be such that they have an equal chance of being employed as their counterparts who graduated in sectarian and non-sectarian schools because they have been properly prepared.”

One of the first acts of Luistro when he assumed office was the creation of the Office of Madrasah Education. To get things started, Luistro ordered the release of P75 million for preparatory activities such as orientation and training of asatidz.

DepEd has set the qualifying exam for asatidz on ALIVE and those who qualify will undergo a 25-day pre-service training on language enhancement and pedagogy.

All systems go for 2012 Brigada Eskwela

(PRESS RELEASE)

More government and private corporations join the 2012 Brigada Eskwela, the annual national schools maintenance week spearheaded by the Department of Education which kicks off on Monday, May 21, in Justo Lukban Elementary School in Manila.

Brigada Eskwela enjoins the whole community to do repairs, maintenance and clean up of public schools prior to the opening of classes. This year’s Brigada is slated from May 21 to 26.

Education Secretary Br. Armin A. Luistro said Brigada Eskwela aims to make the school ready for the students and teachers when classes open in June. “Equally important, it hopes to revive the “bayanihan” spirit among Filipinos by engaging the participation of education stakeholders in the community. “The benefits of education redounds to many sectors of society, this is why we encourage everyone to pitch in,” explained Luistro.

Brigada does not accept cash donation. What it solicits are cleaning / repair materials, other non-cash assistance and community volunteers who paint the classroom, repair chairs and tables, leaking roofs and faucets, cement walkways, spruce up the garden and surroundings.

Among the government and private organizations which signified their participation to the Brigada are the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Amspec, US Aid for International Development (USAID), Chamber of Mines, ABS-CBN E-Media, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Globe Telecom, Kabisig ng Kalahi, Petron Corp., Philam Life, Philippine Business for Social Progress and the Philippine National Bank, among others.

This year’s Brigada Eskwela focuses on school sanitation and on improving the schools of indigenous communities. “School hygiene should not be overlooked as well as the schools catering to IPs,” Luistro explained.

Based on DepEd Memo No. 56 series of 2012, the DepEd-wide activity will start with a motorcade from the Central Office in Pasig at 6:00 in the morning en route to the Justo Lukban Elementary School where the clean-up drive will officially kick-off with Sec. Luistro.

Simultaneous Brigada activities will be observed nationwide during the week. Other DepEd officials will also join the caravan in other areas nationwide. Undersecretary Albert Muyot will be in Alfonso Lista Elementary School in Ifugao while Usec. Yolanda Quijano will visit Ligao Central School in Ligao City, Albay.

Usec. Francisco Varela will be in Balagtas Central School in Bulacan and Assistant Secretary Reynaldo Laguda will join the activities in Magsaysay Elementary School in Samar.

Further, Asec. Armando Ruiz will be part of the maintenance efforts in Kalibo Integrated School in Aklan while Asec. Elena Ruiz will visit a school in the City of Naga.

To date, it has generated an equivalent amount of over P2.02 billion from donations in kind and man-hours spent in school repairs which would have otherwise been taken from the maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) of public schools. 

Brigada enjoys full participation of all public elementary and secondary schools nationwide.

DepEd conducts on-site pre-school opening ocular

(PRESS RELEASE) 

As a requisite to upcoming reforms as well as to check on schools’ preparedness to serve the incoming batch of enrollees for the new school year, the Department of Education (DepEd) today leads an inspection of one of the country’s highly populated public schools.

DepEd officials led by Assistant Secretary for Planning Jesus Lorenzo Mateo undertake the agency’s pre-school opening inspection at the Ramon Magsaysay (Cubao) High School (RMHS) in Cubao, Quezon City. Last year, the school had a total of 6,141 students in its 83 classrooms. This school year, the school is expecting its number of student enrollees to reach 6,500.

Said Mateo, “DepEd’s visit is geared towards making us appreciate first-hand the condition of schools, that is, even before classes start. Considered a representative of the country’s public school system, Ramon Magsaysay High School helps us see for ourselves what problems are needing attention.”

For his part, RMHS School Principal Dr. Romulo Rocena said, “We appreciate that DepEd management is taking concrete steps which is expected to lead to better learning environment, adequate teaching materials and competency, as well as more comprehensive curricula.”

The roundabout at the school’s premises showed a tight distribution of classrooms for the estimated 6,500 new enrollees this school year, with 50 students to share one classroom and one teacher every class time. 

Rocena also shared that most teachers at RMHS are presently undergoing training to increase their competence in teaching the new curricula under DepEd’s K to 12 program.

Other areas are on tight sharing as well, like the comfort rooms. Rocena even mentions a private utility firm for helping provide their sanitation facilities, noting how the private sector can help meet the demands of public schools.

Said Mateo, “Reforms are incessant of course, but we need oculars like these to validate reported problems with the end-goal of opening up even greater opportunities for educational reforms, and potential partnerships with local governments and the private sector for specific and timely solutions.”

More needs to be done to improve the country’s educational system, added Mateo. These include meeting zero backlogs in teachers, classrooms and sanitation facilities. Nationwide, actual shortages in educational resources are as follows: 47,584 teachers; 19,579 classrooms; and 80,937 sanitation facilities or comfort rooms.

An important indicator of the government’s program to improve the country’s educational system also include meeting the government target for National Achievement Test (NAT) mean-percentage-scores of 75 percent for both elementary and high school in SY 2016-17.  

According to Rocena, RMHS is looking at improving its National Achievement Test (NAT) mean-percentage-scores (MPS) for high school. The school’s NAT average scores for its high school students were registered at 44.65 % in SY 2009-2010 and 47.65% in SY 2010-2011 to improve its rank from 28^th to 21^st out of 46 high schools. 

Rocena said that the school’s NAT score will hopefully go up every year to reach the government’s target of 75 percent for both elementary and secondary levels.

Said Mateo, “the DepEd cannot do this alone. In the coming weeks, we will be opening reform initiatives to all sectors, as the country’s educational system moves towards solving these perennial problems.”

Trainers and teachers train for K to 12 roll-out in June

(PRESS RELEASE) 

The Department of Education has concluded a series of training of trainers on the significant features and core elements of the K to 12 curriculum which they will echo to teachers who will teach the Grade 1 and Grade 7 (first year high school) curriculum starting school year 2012-2013.

DepEd is set to implement the Grade 1 and Grade 7 curriculum in all public elementary and secondary schools nationwide when schools open this June.

The training of trainers for the implementation of the Grade 1 curriculum was handled by subject area convenors and curriculum writers as well as trainers on mother tongue-based education from DepEd regional and division offices. On the other hand, half of the trainers for the Grade 7 curriculum came from teacher education institutions, centers of excellence and centers of development in education identified by DepEd. The other half were expert trainers on each subject area from the DepEd regions.

In both trainings, the Bureaus of Elementary and Secondary Education gave the participants an orientation on the curriculum framework as well as assessment framework for elementary and secondary level.

Trained to be trainers for the Grade 1 curriculum were education programs specialists, department heads and master teachers.

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 to 12 curriculum.

“It is an honor to be chosen as one of the K to 12 trainers and be a part of this very significant education reform program and we look forward to the effective implementation of this program in all public schools nationwide,” said Erlinda Barcelo, division coordinator in Filipino and mother tongue-based multi-lingual education (MTB-MLE) in Cotabato City.

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. The teachers training on Grade 1 and Grade 7 curriculum runs from May 7 to June 1, 2012.

Meanwhile, the DepEd Central Office has instructed the regional directors to accommodate teachers from private schools who signified their intention to participate in the training program on the implementation of the new curriculum.