Gen. Vicente Lim Elementary School in Tondo is the newest member of Synergeia. A Project Management Team was organized on August 22, 2008 by Principal Tenorio and the School Governing Council. Those who participated were Grade 1 teachers, officers of the Parents-Teachers Council Association (PTCA) who were mostly ladies dressed in similarly designed neon-pink shirts, a representative from the barangay council and two guidance counselors.
The workshop participants answered the following questions: 1) what factors affect learning performance of their children; (2) what they can do as a group to improve it and (3) how they are going to commit to the program in a personal and in an official capacity.
Particular themes or issues surfaced during the discussion: poverty was a big factor, since many of the household heads are vendors and scavengers. Another factor was the lack of parents’ support. No reinforcement is provided at home, according to the teachers. Even the parent representatives agreed; some of their peers do not have time for their children.
The participants brought out the need for more teacher-parent-barangay involvement programs/ initiatives and trainings to help them become more attentive to the needs of their students/children. There was undoubtedly no question about the commitment and support of the newly formed PMT.
