1stANNUALSTATE OF EDUCATION CONFERENCE

March 11, 2004

Asian Institute of Management

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CONFERENCE

  1. The EDCON. The EDCON is gathering of corporations and foundations doing programs in education. It is a means to:
  • develop a map of programs and initiatives of local governments and the private sector on the improvement of basic education.
  • develop a consensus on priority programs and quantitative targets on products and services to improve basic education that can be delivered by the private sector in 2004.
  • identify means through which the corporate sector and non-governmental organizations can network, collaborate, and evaluate the impact of their programs on basic education.

The conference workshops focused on four areas: infrastructure, curriculum and student performance, human resource development and community involvement.

  1. State of Basic Education. Secretary Edilberto de Jesus presented a detailed report on the status of education in the country. He focused on 10 key issues.
  • Size of Classrooms. To improve cost-effectiveness of classroom construction, the DepEd devised a uniform structure for public school classrooms. The standard dimension is 7 by 9 meters. This will also be convenient for corporate partners who are interested in supporting DepEd infrastructure projects. This is in contrast to the former practice of following 40 different designs.
  • Resource Gaps.The ideal ratio is 1 teacher is to 40 students. But because of the growing population of students, the DepEd has to contend with a compromise ratio of 1 teacher to 60 students. Some schools haveadapted to conducting 4 shifts of classes in a day.
  • Grading System.However, DepEd found diversity in the administration of the grading system. As transitional measures, the following practices have been adopted:
  1. Final grade should be the average of the four grading periods
  2. Lowest grade that can appear in the card is 65%
  3. The passing mark for the year is 70%
  4. 4th grading test should consist of 70% easy, 20% moderately difficult and 10% difficult items.
  5. Colleges and universities will be informed of changes in the grading system so that they can make the necessary adjustments in admission requirements.
  • English Upgrading Program. The DepEd also initiated an English upgrading program for public high school teachers. Some 53,612 school teachers of English, Science, Math were given a Self-Assessment Test. Seven hundred eighty three school administrators also took the exam. Forty-six teachers, who topped the exams, were selected and oriented to be trainers for the program and 1,184 high school teachers were given scholarships for an intensive 6-day training in mentoring. The DepEd is currently developing a mentoring handbook to help teachers teach English effectively.
  • Reaccreditation of Private Lending Institutions. One hundred seventeen firms are engaged in lending transactions with teachers.The interest offeredby firms is in the range of 20-131% with other fees at 20-30% of the principal. The service fees being collected is at 2%.

The DepEd is currently undergoing re-accreditation for lending agencies. Fifty nine have been re-accredited while 17 firms have been denied accreditation and 21 firms are still in the process of evaluation. The DepEd requirements for re-accreditation are as follows:

  1. Effective rate should be 18% or below, rate of not more than 6% of the principal
  2. Service fee must be 1%
  3. Annual savings of P3-4 billion

The DepEd also established a new pay slip system to reflect the deductions made on teacher’s salary.

  • Adopt-a-School Program. The DepEd gets support from companies and corporate foundations through its Adopt-a-School Program (ASP). The ASP package consists of:
  1. Infrastructure (school buildings)
  2. Teaching & Skills Development (trainings)
  3. Learning Support (instructional materials)
  4. Computer & science Lab. Equipment, Library Materials
  5. Health & Food (feeding programs)
  6. Donor’s choice of school

The adopting institution can get a tax incentive--150% of direct costs of assistance will be tax deductible.The program has contributed significantly, amounting to an assistance of P273, 947,748 as of this year.

  • Benchmarking and Coordination. The DepEd developed a road map to consolidate its programs in education. They call it the DepEd 3 R’s:
  • Reduce Resource Gaps
  • Negotiate continuing increase in budget
  • Obtain Overseas Assistance
  • Reengineering Systems & Structures
  • Teachers Welfare
  • Textbook Policy
  • Raising Learning Outcome
  • Revise Basic Education Curriculum
  • English Upgrading System
  • Performance Based Grading System
  • HS Bridge Program

The road map leads to six directions:

  1. Elimination of Corruption
  2. Focus on Outcomes- What did our students learn?
  3. Delivery of the Basics
  4. Rewarding Performance
  5. Promotion of Community Capacity- through community-building and empowerment
  6. Reinforcement of Convergence Strategy – partnering with Government, NGOs and Private volunteer organizations
  • Textbook Policy. The DepEd has initiated several programs to ensure efficient production and distribution of textbooks to students.
  1. Textbooks will be purchased for entire student population every five years.
  2. Textbook exchange program
  3. Textbook must have been tested in private and public schools
  4. Commission the preparation of textbooks with institutions that have demonstrated expertise for the task
  1. Panel Discussion:The panel was composed of Mr. Washington Syci, Founder of the SGV Group, Governor Rodolfo Agbayani of Nueva Vizcaya and Ms. Wendy Puriefoy of Public Education Network,USA.

Mr. Washington Sycipintroduced himself as a product of the public school system. He talked about his father who ingrained in him the values of simplicity, discipline and love for the country. He quoted his father saying, “if you are livingin the Philippines you must get to know people.” With his public schooling, he was able to compete with graduates from private schools and graduated on top of his class in college. Mr. Sycip expressed alarm about the deteriorating public school system in the country. He strongly believes that education is a key that will bring people out of poverty and encouraged programs that will improve the quality of basic education.

Aside from basic education, Mr. Sycip identified two other areas that need to be immediately addressed: making credit accessible to more people through microfinance and population management.

Governor Rodolfo Agbayani talked about the education reform programs that they are implementing in Nueva Vizcayawhere 40% of the population lives in the forest. Due to the limited means of livelihood as well as distance of their houses from the town, children from the upland communities do not get to go to school.

With the support of the Ford Foundation, theprovincial government initiated a reading proficiency program. It has transformed the community into becoming active partners in improving basic education.

  • More parents and local organizations are involved in the program.
  • Teachers are trained to handle children from Day Care Centers
  • Workbooks and lesson plansaremade by teachers in the province.
  • The local government provides funding to print more than 40,000 workbooks and teachers’ manuals.
  • The local school board allocates the SEF according to the needs of the community.

Ms. Wendy Puriefoy of the Public Education Network talked about the collaborative efforts of the private sector in the United States.

She said that education is important because of several factors.

  • Impact of Globalization: Information is considered as a valuable commodity. Not only are products exchanged globally, but also human resource and services. Thus, there is a premium for individuals who have attained quality education. Corporations will be attracted to set up business in communities or countries with a good educational system.
  • Science: The human potential is unlimited. Thus, learning does not stop when a person graduates from school. It is a continuous and lifelong process.
  • Democracy as a form of government: Education equips one with skills for comprehending a complex world. It also enables a person to make good choices and the right decisions.

Given this paradigm, there should be standards-based reformsin education.

The Public Education Network uses private capital to foster public responsibility in education. The PEN advocates the involvement of all sectors in raising awareness on the situation of public education and in raising funds to improve public schools.

Each community has a local education fund (LEF) that serves the following purposes:

  • Provides information about schools to public. The public schools will only be as good as the public demands them to be.Thus the community must know and understand what makes a good school
  • Builds accountability

The Public Education Network (PEN) has various roles.

  • Generate resources and raise money for issues on public education through partnerships with member organizations and institutions.
  • Promote and develop leadership for among member organizations.
  • Promote the impact of their work – what difference are they making?

Based on the experience of PEN, the business community is critical in achieving goals in education. In the same way, corporations and private organizations in the Philippines can make a huge difference in the education system. The key is to get them actively involved.

  1. Workshops: Working Together to Make Education Work. After the panel discussion, the participants organized themselves into the different workshop clusters.

Area / Facilitator
Infrastructure / Mr. Adolfo Suzara,
Microshop
Curriculum and Student Performance / Mr. Mario Doroquito
Ayala Foundation
Human Resource Development / Mr. Arthur Florentin
Meralco Foundation
Community Involvement / Dr. Nene Guevara
Synergeia Foundation

Workshop participants were asked to answer the following questions:

1.What are the programs/initiatives of your organization on the workshop theme?

2.What are the targets/expected products or services that your organization will provide in 2004?

  1. What measures do you suggest for organizations to improve their collaboration or networking in helping improve basic education?

4.1. Infrastructure.

The workshop discussed programs that providefacilities and utilities for students: school buildings, classrooms, chairs, desks, libraries, laboratories, equipment, electricity and water.Infrastructure is an enabling technology. It is an important elementthat allows a child to learn and perform well in school.

The following corporations are involved in infrastructure programs:

Programs
1. Petron Foundation /
  • PetronSchool (based on Little Red Schoolhouse model)
  • Tulong Aral ng Petron (TAP): sends 1,000 children from Grades 1-6 in public elementary schools
  • Reading Campaign (with SAS Foundation) : establish Tuklas Corners in public elementary schools
  • Skills Training and Education Program: OSY beneficiaries

2. SM Foundation /
  • College scholarship program
  • Builds elementary schoolhouses
  • Donates books to barangay libraries

3. Philip Morris (through PBSP) /
  • Builds classrooms
  • Donates textbooks, chairs and desks
  • Provides computer labs
  • Improves water systems
  • Provides playground equipment

4. Tan Yan Kee Foundation /
  • Four schools in the Adopt-a-School project

5. Coca-Cola Foundation /
  • Little Red Schoolhouse Project: Builds 3-classroom school buildings for multi-grade teaching schools

6. Makati Business Club /
  • connectEd.ph: provides computer labs to public high schools
  • Adopted Bangkal Elementary School II in MakatiCity

7. HSBC /
  • READiscoveryCenter in public elementary schools. Components include:
  • Reading program
  • Teacher training
  • Trainings for full-time librarians
  • Library hour in schools
  • Parent involvement

8. Sun Philippines /
  • connectEd.ph: provides free software to run on PC’s in public schools, assists in website project
  • English Philippines: trains teachers to improve English language training and proficiency

9. Knowledge Channel Foundation (Educational Television) /
  • Basic education programs based on DepEd curriculum
  • Provides TV sets with cable or satellite dish in schools (1350 schools to date)
  • Electricity or alternative source of energy, if none
  • Support materials: teacher training, calendar guides, study guides

The Department of Education developed a database that summarizes the infrastructure needs and requirements of all schools in the country. The program, Basic Education Information System (BEIS) is stored in a data CD. It also makes use of color-coding scheme to identify what kind of infrastructure support is in need. The group agreed that this is a very important and useful tool for corporations who have or may be interested in doing infrastructure projects.

It was suggested that the BEIS be posted in a website so that more people can have access to information. Also a search engine must be developed so that it will be easier to retrieve data from the system.

The infrastructure targets for 2004 are as follows:

  1. Build 50 school buildings. Coca-Cola (5), Philip Morris (2), SM Foundation (6), Tan Yan Kee Foundation (4), Petron Foundation (22) commit to this goal.
  2. Conduct PTCA training for 385 parents (Coca-Cola Foundation and Petron Foundation). Provide training for 40 teachers and supervisors. (Coca-Cola Foundation)
  3. Develop a website through collaboration with DepEd and corporations
  4. Commit P5.0 million for textbook distribution. (Philip Morris)
  5. Establish Knowledge Channel in 200 more schools.
  6. Build 141 computer labs through connectEd.ph.
  7. Establish and build Reading centers in at least 18 schools. (HSBC and Petron Foundation)

It was suggested that the EDCORE develop a website of all corporate programs in education to facilitate networking and collaboration.

4.2. Curriculum and Student Performance

The focus of the workshop was to identify programs that assist in the production and delivery of instructional materials.

Most corporations are involved in the following areas for Student Performance:

Programs/Services
1. Instructional and Learning Materials /
  1. League of Corporate Foundations (LCF Book Drive)
  2. DIWA Scholastic Press
  3. La Salle Green Hills
  4. MakatiBusiness Club
  5. MBC-NOTED (Workbooks in Language and Reading)
  6. CahbribaAlternative School Foundation
  7. Mc Donald’s Foundation (Bright Minds Read “Big Book”)
  8. Project JOSIE (Province of Bulacan)

2. Developing English Proficiency /
  1. Makati Business Club
  2. MBC-AMCHAM (Computerized English Language Centers)
  3. Mc Donald’s Foundation (Bright Minds Read: Beginning Reading for Grade 1)

3. ICT-based Learning /
  1. ABS-CBN Foundation (Knowledge Channel)
  2. MBC-AMCHAM
  3. Ayala Foundation
  4. Makati Business Club (connectEd.ph)

4. Teacher Training /
  1. McDonald’s Foundation
  2. DIWA
  3. Ayala Foundation (Bridge Leadership Training for Principals)
  4. Project JOSIE
  5. MBC-AMCHAM
  6. ABS-CBN Foundation

5. Co-curricular Activities /
  1. Cahbriba (eco-tours)
  2. Metrobank Foundation (math competitions)
  3. Boy Scouts of the Philippines

6. Policy /
  1. World Bank (Policy Note of Education)
  2. DepEd (Policies for curriculum development of 2002 BEC)

Given the many factors that affect student performance, the group agreed to focus on three areas where the private sector can provide support. These are:

  1. Instructional Materials: providing textbooks, audio-visual materials
  2. Co-curricular activities: enrichment activities, competitions
  3. MAKABAYAN: assist the DepEd in developing and refining the curriculum

The group identified several targets for 2004:

  1. Continue and develop reading enhancement programs, including preparation of materials and evaluation instruments
  2. Provide educational materials. LCF commits to 100,000 books by the end of the year.
  3. EstablishICT-based learning facilities. AMCHAM commits to building 10 CELC’s by the year’s end.
  4. Develop and support co-curricular and extra-curricular activities. Boy Scouts of the Philippines will put together ideas which can help teachers teach MAKABAYAN.
  5. Produce World Bank policy notes on education
  • Suggested measures for networking are as follows:
  1. Form an active membership in existing alliances/coalitions such as Synergeia, LCF
  2. Collect and write success stories per region, especially unknown heroes/heroines. Produce an education journal.
  3. Develop a website where all donors can have access to best practices and new programs that they can be involved in.
  4. Create a tri-sectoral committee (DepEd, LGU and corporate sector) on basic education. The committee can be a clearing house for all private sector initiatives in education.

4.3. Human Resource Development

  • The vision of the 21st century Filipino teacher as “…an inspiring model of excellence and positive values enabling the growth and development of the learner as a total person and of the community he/she serves” provided the focus of the workshop.
  • Corporations extend support to teacher training in the public schools through various interventions:
  • Pre-service education. The development of the desirable qualities of a teacher starts from attracting highly qualified individuals into the teaching profession and providing them with the appropriate education.Some private partners are providing scholarships to deserving individuals taking up education as their college course
  • Transition opportunities. Transition opportunities in the form of allowances are provided until education graduates are placed in appropriate schools. During this transition period, graduates are provided with an orientation that will facilitate their adjustment into the profession.
  • In-service training. Training on core subjects, values formation, learning concepts and theories, teaching methodologies, lesson planning, developing instructional materials and teaching aids, learning evaluations and assessments, personal effectiveness, and oral communication.
  • Access to instructional materials and equipment. Some foundations are providing textbooks, workbooks, and equipment such as computers and photocopiers.
  • Service awards and recognition for teachers. Several partners provide awards and recognition for outstanding teachers. The awards include plaques,trophies, cash prizes and scholarships.
  • Faculty welfare. Some initiatives provide health care services and livelihood programs so teachers can focus on teaching and not worry about financial matters
  • Various foundations also employ different approaches depending on their capability and the availability of resources. These approaches are as follows:
  • School-based interventions.
  • Scholarships and Grants. Some foundations are endowed with adequate financial resources but lack the staff and manpower to implement programs beyond providing financial assistance.
  • Volunteerism. Foundations with a large membership base mobilize volunteers in providing training or other services.
  • Provision of Materials and/or Equipment. Some foundations, by nature of their organization and operation have the materials and/or equipment readily available for sharing to schools and teachers.
  • Networking. Some foundations collaborate with others in providing assistance to schools and teachers.

Current Situation / 2004 Commitment
No. of Foundation / Number Benefited / No. of Foundation / Number Benefited
Teachers / Schools / Teachers / Schools
Interventions
Pre Service Education / 5 / 286 / 60 / 5 / 525 / 142
Transition Opportunities / 4 / 96 / 0 / 1 / 30 / 0
In-Service Training / 22 / 27,887 / 3555 / 13 / 19137 / 2154
Instructional Materials & Training / 12 / 10000 / 2520 / 11 / 4000 / 1567
Rewards & Recognition / 5 / 282 / 101 / 4 / 120 / 80
School Administration / 6 / 6512 / 2337 / 6 / 825 / 753
Faculty Welfare / 5 / 1080 / 35 / 2 / 75 / 3
TOTAL / 59 / 46143 / 8608 / 42 / 24712 / 4699
Geographical Location
NCR / 10 / 2449 / 714 / 5 / 100 / 106
Luzon / 17 / 7211 / 1993 / 8 / 1100 / 318
Visayas / 11 / 790 / 380 / 4 / 225 / 425
Mindanao / 9 / 763 / 253 / 5 / 1025 / 315
TOTAL / 47 / 11213 / 3340 / 22 / 2450 / 1164
Approaches
School-based / 11 / 480 / 2044 / 9 / 975 / 1099
Scholarships & Grants / 4 / 261 / 88 / 6 / 152 / 48
Volunteerism / 8 / 700 / 1240 / 7 / 1300 / 2239
Provision of Materials & Equipment / 5 / 226 / 1938 / 6 / 500 / 976
Recognition & Awards / 3 / 80 / 65 / 4 / 10 / 70
Networking / 11 / 368 / 598 / 6 / 700 / 756
TOTAL / 42 / 2115 / 5973 / 38 / 3637 / 5188

The group also made suggestions for additional interventions: