It’s the opening of another school year again. To be specific, School Year 2012-2013. The Department of Education (Dep Ed) continues to prepare its young for their inevitable ascendancy into leadership roles in the future. It sticks to its principle and belief that the foundation of every state is the education of the youth. (ABAD, 2005)
The teachers & school officials continue to update, hone up and enhance their knowledge & skills. They have just finished their various seminars like Mother Tongue, the K to 12, Mentoring, Every child A Reader Program (ECARP), Seminars on Computer Technology , Library Hub, Mathematics, Technology & Livelihood, Values Education, Science and other subjects both in Elementary and Secondary levels. The Araling Panlipunan Department finds time to recheck errors in A.P. book found in the A.P. released in 1998-2000. Teachers are always updating &checking their English language proficiency, for instance self-assessment lest for English, Their English Proficiency Test as a requirement for entrance to Gurong Scholarship Program (Bataan Province & Balanga City) sponsored by Provincial Government .
The Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (Phil. IRI) is an Initiative of the Bureau of Elementary Education-Dep Ed that directly addresses its thrust to make a every Filipino child a reader. it is anchored on the flagship program of the department “Every child a Reader Program’’, the goal of which is to enable every Filipino Child to Communicate both in English & Filipino through effective reading instruction, and this is done by elementary teachers through Phil. IRI, an assessment tool that evaluates the reading proficiency level of elementary school pupils.
Another worth- mentioning activity of the Dep Ed is the Feeding Program, the fund which is given or sponsored by various Local Gov’t Units(LGU) and private institutions. The schools with cooperative stores also share fund for this program to ensure that malnourishment will be lessened if not totally eradicated. Children are weighed before the feeding and monitored every three months to check if malnourished children are improving with regard to their health status. Before the feeding, deworming is done
It is a good start of another school year if parents, the local government, the private sectors and development assistance community- to multiply the little that the Dep Ed has, will continue to support & cooperate. And for those who care about the education of our children ,don’t stop supporting our schools.
Filipino teachers although remaining over- worked and underpaid, despite all hardships – are still there for the children.
By: MR. CLARO TRIA DE CASTRO | Teacher III | Asuncion Consunji Elementary School, , Samal, Bataan (Former Imelda Elementary School)
