PLANNING ON QUALITY, LIBERATING BASIC EDUCATION

MARY GRACE S. DOMINGO

Officials of the Department of Education (DepEd) from all over the country pledged to continuously and actively take part in strategizing, researching, and harmonizing programs and policies towards the delivery of quality, accessible, relevant, and liberating basic education.

This was the commitment they made after participating in the DepEd National Planning Conference (NPC) 2018 held recently.

According to the DepEd, next to teachers, planning personnel and officers make the crucial part of the backbone of the Department of Education. The department has had a meaningful two-year journey under the Briones administration, using strategic issues on access and quality, with public feedback on DepEd’s performance. The Briones administration is working under the country’s Sustainable Development Goals and Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022.

Themed “Achieving Basic Education Goals through Harmonized Policies and Programs, and Results-Based Participatory Planning,” the third NPC oriented the participants on the upcoming polices and systems in the Department, and deepened their understanding of results-based planning, management, and monitoring and evaluation (M&E).

Members of the DepEd Executive Committee delivered updates on their respective fields, tackling the education budget performance and delivery challenges; the future of digital education, and five-year master plan; policy updates on curriculum and instruction; the Department’s Legal Affairs; updates on procurement policy and implementation; and proposed merit-based promotion and other human resource updates.

The DepEd also underscored the importance of developing the human capital, and aligning all reforms, activities, projects, and programs for both the internal and external stakeholders.

Resource speakers discussed risk assessment and management; data mining; results-based planning and M&E; and quality management on data collection process.

The DepEd also highlighted the impact of the participatory process of policymaking, describing it as “a shared responsibility where each level has a role.”

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The author is Teacher III at Sepung Bulaun Elementary School