A blog that tackles issues on basic education (in the Philippines and the United States) including early childhood education, the teaching profession, math and science education, medium of instruction, poverty, and the role of research and higher education.
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What Needs to Be Done: Address the Needs of Children
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No curricular reform would work without addressing first the basic needs of school children. When kids have to climb cliffs and cross a river using a bamboo raft, their safety needs to be addressed first. A video showing what some Filipino children have to do just to attend school has been loaded on YouTube by Kyle Jennermann more than a year ago. The video has been viewed more than a hundred thousand times. Finally, the Philippines government has taken the right step in improving basic education by providing a safe bridge for school children to cross in Barangay Lingating in Baungon, Bukidnon.
The new bridge was formally opened two days before this past Christmas. Among the first to cross is Bukidnon's representative Maria Lourdes Acosta-Alba.
Kyle Jennerman did note on his Facebook page that the Department of Public Works and Highways paid attention to the video he posted. He shared a message he received a couple of months after he made that video:
"Result of the investigation revealed that an estimated 50 elementary school children and high school students from sition Kitara, Brgy. Lingating, Baungon, Bukidnon are going to and from Barangays Bayanga and Mambuaya Elementary School/High School, Cagayan de Oro City everyday just to be in school. The use of two (2) bamboo rafts is the only mode transportation in crossing the river, and they still have to climb the vertical bank of the river to reach their homes. This is the unchanging situation the people are embracing daily that puts so much risk in their lives.
To address this concern... (***removed names) suggested that they include in their local infrastructure project (LIP) the following: 1. Construction of 160 l.m. Hanging Bridge and Access Road, Brgy. Bayanga, Cagayan de Oro City to Sitio Kitara, Brgy. Lingating, Baungon, Bukidnon. 2. Construction of 124 l.m. Hanging Bridge and Access Road, Brgy. Mambuaya, Cagayan de Oro City to Sitio Macabundol, Brgy. Danatag, Baungon, Bukidnon. 3. Construction of 124 l.m. Hanging Bridge and Access Road, Zone 5 Sitio Aura Brgy. Mambuaya to Sitio Guimara, Brgy. Langawon, Baungon, Bukidnon.
The project shall be implemented and completed in 2016 so that school kids will no longer take the risks in climbing the vertical bank of the river accident can be avoided. Thank you. DPWH
From the time the above message was received, it took more than a year to finish the bridge. Still, seeing this bridge brings hope that someday the Philippine government will soon prioritize what basic education really needs.
TANONG: ANO ANG KTO12 PROGRAM? SAGOT: Ang Kto12 Program ng gobyerno ng Pilipinas ay tumutukoy sa pagkakaroon ng mandatory o required na kindergarten at karagdagang 2 taon sa dating 10-year Basic Education Cycle. Kung noon, pagkatapos ng anim na taon sa elementarya at apat na taon sa hayskul (kabuuang 10 taon) ay maaari nang makapagkolehiyo ang mga estudyante. Sa ilalim ng Kto12, bago makapagkolehiyo, kailangan pa nilang dumaan sa karagdagang 2 taon pagkatapos ng apat na taong hayskul. Sa bagong sistema, tinatawag na senior high school o junior college ang karagdagang 2 tao…
People have strong opinions about almost anything and the issue of education is no exception. How these opinions have been formed needs to be examined. This is what good research does. It informs and guides. A myriad of factors influence education and oftentimes, these factors are not independent from each other. Factors interact, sometimes these add, and other times, these subtract. General notions therefore need to be carefully drawn. Writing articles on education can also be quite challenging. When problems in basic education involve an inability to think critically, it is difficult to reach the audience and convey the correct message. Oftentimes, sarcasm is lost so such style of writing needs to be avoided. For people who are convinced of their wisdom and understanding of how education works, profound messages from basic research can be often easily lost.
There is information to be gained from data. Tests in schools can be informative. Scores of students provide a quick glimpse of the current state of education. Thus, it is useful to have these numbers. These numbers may not tell everything in detail with high accuracy. Nevertheless, test results allow for a useful perspective. The National Achievement Test administered by the Department of Education (DepEd) in the Philippines, a set of standardized tests addressing the major subjects taught in school, is an example. These tests are given to Grade 3 where students are assessed in both English and Filipino (These two subjects comprise two thirds of the exam) and Math and Science (These two account for the remaining one third). A different set of tests is given to Grade 6 pupils where each of the following 5 subjects is assigned 40 items: (Science, Math, English, Filipino and Social Studies). Another set is administered to fourth year high school students (This is currently the last year…
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