Deped’s Thrusts Essay

1. The ALS Accreditation & Equivalency Test formerly known as the Non-formal Education A&E Test is a paper and pencil test. The test is designed to measure the competencies of those who have not finished either the formal elementary or secondary education. Passers of this test are given a certificate/diploma certifying their competencies as comparable to graduates of the formal school system. Hence, they are qualified to enroll in high school (for elementary level passers) and to enroll in college (for secondary level passers). 2. Philippine Educational Placement Test (PEPT) is the principal instrument used in Accreditation and Equivalency Program (AEP) which was first established in 1977. The main objective is to retrieve out-of-school youths and place them in the formal school system, if they so desire, and to place over-aged in-school youth in the grade/year level corresponding to their ages. The PEPT tests the competencies gained through formal, informal and non-formal education which is equivalent tot hose developed in five subject areas – Communication Arts in English and Filipino, Science, Math and Social Studies – from first grade in the elementary school to fourth year in the secondary school. 3. Special Education is an educational program or service designed to meet the needs of children with special needs that cannot profit from general or regular education because of disabilities or exceptional disabilities. The ultimate goal of special education shall be the integration or mainstreaming of learners with special needs into the regular school system and eventually in the community. Special education also aims to develop the maximum potential of the child with special needs to enable him to become self-reliant and shall be geared towards providing him with the opportunities for a full and happy life. It gears up to the development and maximization of learning competencies, as well as the inculcation of values to make the learners with special needs a useful and effective member of society. 4. Every Filipino child now has access to Early Childhood Education through the universal Kindergarten. At 5 years old, children start schooling and are given the means to slowly adjust to formal education. Research shows that children who underwent Kindergarten have better completion rates than those who did not. Children who complete a standards-based Kindergarten program are better prepared, for primary education. Education for children in the early years lays the foundation for lifelong learning and for the total development of a child. In Kindergarten, pupils learn the alphabet, numbers, shapes, and colors through games, songs, and dances, in their Mother Tongue. 5. The Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) work focuses on supporting the children’s development through this vital period – ensuring they are physically healthy, cognitively stimulated, emotionally resilient and socially competent. ECCD program also strengthen children’s protective environment by supporting parents and pregnant women, as well as looking for wider contexts such as government policies and attitudes. 6. The Drop Out Reduction Program (DORP) aims to curb the high dropout rates in public schools by offering alternative modes of education for students at the risk of dropping out (SARDO). First implemented in 1998, the DORP is already perceived to have achieved some success, with a decrease in the dropout rate from 12. 51% in AY 2005-2006 to 7. 45% in AY 2007-2008. A â€Å"dropout† is defined by the DORP as a student who has stopped attending school before completing the prescribed level of education within the specified school year. The dropout rate, meanwhile, is the percentage of students who drop out from a level of education in a given school year, including those who complete the school year but fail to enroll in the next. In a school implementing the DORP, a DORP support team must be formed. They shall be tasked with organizing, designing and implementing the school’s DORP through setting the targets for the program and choosing the appropriate intervention methods in the context of the available school and community resources. 7. The Alternative Learning System is a free education program implemented by the Department of Education (DepEd) under the Bureau of Alternative Learning System which benefits those who cannot afford formal schooling and follows whatever is their available schedule. ALS aims to open more educational opportunities for Filipino citizens of different interests, capabilities of demographic characteristics, socioeconomic origins and status as well as addressing the needs of marginalized groups. The program cuts the time needed to finish high school, hence, significantly cuts the expenses as well. Aside from giving hope to the less fortunate, it also provides opportunities to Out-of-School Youths (OSY) and adults elementary and secondary school drop-outs; industry-based workers; housewives; maids; factory workers; drivers; members of cultural minorities; indigenous people and the disabled/physically challenged. 8. The Adopt-A-School Program is enacted in 1988 for the very purpose of providing a venue for the strong and dynamic private sector to participate in nation-building through investments in the education of Filipino children. The rewards of such investments come through an educated generation that will succeed ours, run our enterprises, and steer this nation to greater heights. Over the years, DepEd introduced interventions to reduce student dropouts and keep the youth off the streets. It has sought to increase student achievement levels and improve teacher performance. It continues to bring the issues and needs of public education to every Filipino who cares, in an effort to invite each and everyone to help boost education opportunities for our young. With Adopt-A-School, each Filipino can have the opportunity to enjoy his right to education, to open his eyes to the wonders and challenges of the world, to pursue his dreams, and to contribute capably towards the nation’s progress. 9. The Arabic Language and Islamic Values Education (ALIVE) is designed for the Muslim Migrants to be able to positively contribute to the peace efforts of our government in order to improve that quality of life of Muslim out-of-school youth and adults. It teaches the language of the Holy Qur’an and the beliefs and value system of the Muslim religion. It has components, namely, Basic Literacy Program + ALIVE, Accreditation & Equivalency (A&E) Program + ALIVE, Informal Education + ALIVE, Technical Vocational Education Program + ALIVE and Entrepreneurship Development +ALIVE. In the Philippines, the teaching of Islamic values and Arabic used to be done only in Islamic schools, however, DepEd ordered the mainstreaming of these lessons in the curriculum in some selected public elementary schools particularly those who have Muslim communities. The order mandated the teaching of Islamic values and Arabic language in public elementary school with at least 30 Muslim students. 10. Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses for schools are use to pay expenses for utilities like electric and water expenses. It can also be to pay salaries for janitorial and security services or use for other mandatory expenditures except for the procurement of textbooks and other instructional materials and school furniture and equipment. Other uses of MOOE include travelling expenses, communication services, repair and maintenance, transportation services and many others. 11. Brigada Eskwela is a nationwide voluntary effort which started in 2003, bringing together teachers, parents, and the community to do clean up and repairs in public schools to prepare the facilities for the June school opening. Undertaken in all public schools every third week of May or two weeks before classes begin, it is participated in by private organizations, individuals, national and local government agencies, local businesses, and international organizations and foundations, among others. Volunteers paint classrooms, repair furniture, and clean up the school grounds. Materials and supplies are usually donated by the parents or by private businesses and foundations. Brigada Eskwela encourages the public to share their time, strength and resources in kind. In 2012, Brigada Eskwela pooled more than P1. 5 billion-worth of resources-in-kind and man hours by over six-million volunteers in various parts of the country. 12. K to 12 aims to make basic education sufficient enough so that anyone who graduates can be gainfully employed locally and globally and will have a productive life. The K-12 Education plan is to add two years in the secondary level plus kindergarten and it will look at the specialized education in high school which will focus on a specific field of interest. If the K-12 Education Plan becomes successful, then the Philippine education system can become more competitive among other countries around the world. Though there are still some problems that the government needs to solve before they can successfully implement the plan. Such elements include the number of public school classrooms plus the adequate supply of classroom chairs, books, etc. If the government could allot a bigger budget to educational needs, then we could be one-step ahead towards the success of the K-12 program. Furthermore, parents (especially those who belong in the poor sector) should be properly informed and motivated of the advantages of the K-12 Education Plan. This is very important since parents play a major role in providing the child’s school allowances, supplies, and fees for other school projects and activities. Once this succeeds, it is best hoped that Filipino students would be more literate, skilled, and competitive to be able to find jobs more easily and contribute to the country’s pride as well as the country’s economy. 13. A Lingua Franca is a language systematically used to make communication possible between people not sharing a first language, in particular when it is a third language, distinct from both speakers’ first languages. Examples of lingua francas are numerous, and exist on every continent. The most obvious example is English, which is the current dominant lingua franca of international business, science, technology and aviation. There are many other lingua francas centralized on particular regions, such as Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish. With the rich experiences and lessons learned in the implementation of the use of lingua franca or mother tongue as language of instruction, the DepED has expanded this in its multilingual education implemented in SY 2008-2009 until SY 2012-2013. The project is called Lingua Franca and Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MLE). Its main goal is to develop lifelong learners who are proficient in the use of their lingua franca or mother tongue (language 1), the national language (language 2) and other languages (language 3 and language 4) who take pride of their heritage and culture. This move helps to improve schools performance indicators specifically dropout, repetition, retention and completion rates among elementary pupils; increase pupils’ academic performance through the acquisition of oral fluency, reading and writing skills in their lingua franca or first language that provide them a bridge to learning Filipino and English enabling them to become more competent in all areas of study; and demonstrate self-confidence and pride in one’s culture, tradition and values. 14. The Mother Tongue-Based Multi-Lingual Education (MTB-MLE) has been implemented in all public schools, specifically in Kindergarten, Grades 1, 2, and 3, as part of the K to 12 Basic Education Program, starting the School Year 2012-2013 to support the goal of â€Å"Every Child-A Reader and A-Writer by Grade 1. † The MTB-MLE aims at language development which established a strong education for success in school and for lifelong learning and at cognitive development which focuses on Higher Order Thinking Skills. It also aims at academic development which prepares the learner to acquire mastery of competencies in each of the learning areas and at socio-cultural awareness which enhances the pride of the learner’s heritage, language, and culture. In the MTB-MLE implementation, the following eight major languages or Lingua Franca and four other languages will be cited as learning area and utilized as language of instruction for SY 2012-2013: Tagalog, Kapampangan, Pangasinense, Iloko, Bikol, Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Waray, Tausug, Maguindanaoan, Maranao, and Chavacano. 15. In anticipation of over two million students enrolling in the start of the school year, the Department of Education sees the Alternative Distance Learning Program as a way to decongest schools which will allow students to do their schoolwork without coming to school every day. Instead, the students will study at home and report to school for exams and group activities. DepEd created also the Internet-based Distance Education Program (iDEP) as an alternative way for students to complete their education in an attempt to reduce high school dropout rates in the country. iDEP offers formal secondary education to qualifying students using Internet-based technologies and classes are conducted and managed completely online. The program is seen to benefit many students, as well as those working in the entertainment industry, those with health and financial problems, and those in rehabilitation centers.