Tag: #regionaleducationcouncil

Education Summit in Sara, Iloilo

Posted on by Florendo Guevara

Once a battle-hardened warrior on the battlefields, retired general and now Mayor Jon Aying’s transition as a civilian leader has been remarkable.  As 200 people from different walks of life trooped to Sara National High School gymnasium to attend the municipal education summit,  Mayor Aying stood tall as he delivered his Education Address to his constituents. He reviewed the schools’ performance indicators, explaining what the figures meant. Starting from enrollment figures for the past three years in elementary and high school, he explained and gave comments for his constituents to clearly understand what those pie and bar charts mean in every performance indicator flashed on the LED board. When he came across the reading proficiency and numeracy indicators, he correlated them to the dismal performance of our school children, who lagged, as shown in the PISA results with the rest of the countries of the world. He also highlighted the nutritional status of the schoolchildren. His message is to develop strategic maneuvers to teach the kids competency in every ladder of their education journey. He told his constituents how the local government spend its Special Education Fund where they matter most: payment for additional teachers, infrastructure upgrades, and community engagements. He ended his message with his favorite African proverb, “It takes a village to educate a child.”  He wanted the children of Sara to remember his administration, not for the battles won but for the futures secured.   

In the workshop that followed, the participants coming from the PTAs, SGCs, Barangay Captains and the Kagawads in charge of education, LGU officials, Members of the Sanggunian, the religious sector and the CSOs were unanimous in their answers.

For them, the most essential learning areas we need to improve are:

  • literacy and numeracy,
  • good manners and right conduct, and
  • nutrition.

Among the members of the PTA and the SGC, they push for the active involvement of parents in reading, numeracy and nutrition. A group of parents shared that they have been doing rounds of bible studies in schools to teach the kids the correct attitudes and values. Admittedly, school heads observed a decline in the enthusiasm of school children to learn because of the influence of gadgets. The heads of offices and the sanggunian members were passionate about pushing for the improvement of the health condition of the school children by actively supporting programs on health and nutrition by the local government. They commit to legislating local initiatives to improve children’s nutritional status in the first 1000 days. The barangay captain and their kagawads quickly added that every barangay and school should have their community and garden to provide vegetables for the school feeding program.    

Mayor Aying presented the syntesis of their first education summit in a manila paper which he named as the Education Governance Framework.

After attentively listening to the workshop reports, Mayor Aying presented his synthesis in a Manila paper he illustrated called the Education Governance Framework. Real-time feedback based on the answers to the workshop questions showed that the various sectors in the Municipality of Sara were pushing for improving literacy and numeracy among the school children to address the continuous decline of the state of Philippine education. Corollary to that is the concern and observation of  everyone that today’s schoolchildren hardly say sorry, excuse me, and thank you, to the dismay of everyone. Aside from their nutritional status, it also affects children’s memory, attention, and cognitive abilities. Mayor Aying pointed out that the identified problems are offshoots of the environment surrounding the child, which is the school he goes to, his family including its moral and spiritual orientation, the system of governance both at the local and national levels, and the kind of peace and order situation where he lives.   His marching order for everyone is for all stakeholders to cooperate and collaborate towards ensuring a better future for every Saranhon.

Can teachers free our children?

Posted on by Florendo Guevara

A two part series on Teachers’ Training in Iloilo under the Proof of Concept initiative on the devolution of basic education to  LGUs.

Part I. PS I Love You

As the children were leaving school, a teacher found a letter left on her desk. She opened it and felt awed and touched by what she read:

My dear teacher,

Thank you for all that you do for us. You have been so patient and understanding of us. We learn a lot from you everyday. Honestly, you are our idol. May God bless you!

PS. I love you.

Your pupil, Juan

In our society, our teachers are seen as very important people whom parents rely on for their children’s learning and education.

In fact, we celebrate our teachers’ contributions to our country’s education goals and its desired brighter future for this generation and the next.

Teachers are perceived as miracle workers who create a world of wonder where our children are freed from ignorance, poverty of knowledge, inequality and inequity, failures in reading and literacy and a dismal quality of life.

In a training workshop conducted by Synergeia under the Proof of Concept initiative on the devolution of basic education to  LGUs, many teachers from  12  Local Governments of  Iloilo, trooped to the venue with a heart and commitment to enable all grade three students to read well by  the end of  SY 2024-2025. Another miracle in the making?

The teachers expressed that  the concept of “miracle workers” raises some key beliefs and attributes that they will need to have or already have like:

◆ The role of teachers  is  crucial to the success of the school;

◆ Teachers  lay the foundation for learners  to become literate and  good citizens;

◆ Teachers serve  as  role models  to his/her  learners;

◆ Teachers must take care  of themselves – physically, emotionally and spiritually for when they feel good,  they will manifest these to their learners  and  co-teachers;

◆ Teachers must not stop or get tired of learning, of embracing change, of adapting new paradigms, of creating and  innovating;

◆ Teachers must be good actors  and be animated  to catch the attention of  learners;

◆ Teachers must not lose sight  of their mission to improve  the lives  of  children;

◆ Teachers  should share their  best practices  and  always  collaborate;  work as a team and  develop camaraderie;

◆ Teachers must regularly  consult  with parents about their children and find ways to address weaknesses  and harness the talents  of  children;

◆ It is crucial to focus on data  organization  and presentation in  interpreting  learners’ performance and  test  how effective learning interventions are;

◆ There is a need to have a good heart to better understand  learners’ struggles  and  challenges; and

◆ Teaching is an art.

Indeed, teaching children how to read and read well is an art.

In Synergeia’s roadmap for capacity building in reading and teaching reading, there is strong emphasis on the art of teaching sounds and blending, word recognition, of storytelling and other creativity tools, of comprehension and higher order learning, of appreciation of arts, history and culture and developing total personal well-being to perform better as teachers-miracle workers.

Part II. PS, I will make you read.

There is something new to learn about LEARN

Posted on by Florendo Guevara

First, it is an organization of like-minded local leaders whose vision for education is as long and enduring as its name. LEARN stands for “Learning Environment Accessible in Rebuilding the Nation.”  

Second, there is nothing typical about the LEARN Council in terms of its broad membership which compares with the focused, area-centric representation of a standard  “regional education council.” It has for its members the Local Chief Executives from across Central Luzon, Southern Luzon, National Capital Region, Eastern Visayas and Surigao del Norte.  

Third, because of this more expanded and diversified structure, the LEARN Council rises with a resolute and determined energy and passion,  allowing it to joyfully experience a kind of  “rebirth” that exemplifies its resurgence towards the opening of a new chapter in its existence.

 Its readiness and wherewithal to lead LGUs in the implementation of education governance programs extends beyond a renewal of faith in its mission but more of a strengthening of vigor and dedication to what its name is hoping to achieve.

Finally, the renaissance of the LEARN Council promises to be a living proof of  the capability and leadership of its officers and members to improve the reading proficiency of children, share and adopt best practices in education governance and work to encourage more LGUs to be part of LEARN.  

Mayor Agatha Paula Cruz of Guiguinto, Bulacan is the new Chairperson of the LEARN Council.  Other newly-elected officers are:  

Mayor Alfredo Coro II of Del Carmen, Surigao del Norte – Vice-Chairperson

Mayor Wes Gatchalian of Valenzuela City – Secretary

Mayor Joy Belmonte of Quezon City – Treasurer

Mayor Francis Garcia of Balanga City, Bataan – Auditor

Mayor Josell Aimee Vistan of Plaridel, Bulacan – Communication Officer

In its two meetings this  year, the LEARN Council has accomplished quite a feat. It reviewed its by-laws and analyzed the education performance of members towards solidifying their goal and success metrics as an education council. 

Indeed, we can trust that the LEARN Council is relentless to put education of our children on the right and more progressive track.