Senior High students to do work immersion
from Tabasa Bitoon, Daanbantayan, Cebu, diagnosed with acute Leukemia needs financial assistance for his chemotherapy.
6 years old from Umapad, Mandaue City, diagnosed with Thalassemia syndrome needs financial assistance for her maintenance medicine.
7 years old female from San Roque, Talisay City, Cebu diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia needs financial assistance for her chemotherapy.
Senior High School (SHS) students are now given the chance to enhance their skills in their respective academic track through the K to 12 Work Immersion Program as a means to develop competencies and work ethics in preparation for the real world and its challenges.
“This work immersion provides learners with opportunities to learn about the workplace, as well as the authentic work environment. Work Immersion is a key feature in the Senior High School program. Guidelines have been formulated based on the experiences of techvoc schools,” said Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Bianito Dagatan.
The Department of Education (DepEd) Cebu City Division in partnership with the Bayanihang Pampaaralan (BP) hosted an Academe-Industry Consultative Conference on Senior High School (SHS) Work Immersion yesterday, bringing together educational institutions and various industries to come to a mutual agreement on how the work immersion should be conducted.
Under DepEd Order No. 30 Series of 2017, the Guidelines for Work
4 years old from Poblacion Consolacion diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia needs financial assistance for his chemotherapy.
diagnosed with Neuroblastoma INSS Stage 4 needs financial assistance for his chemotherapy, MRI and surgical resection of the tumor.
12 years old from Upper San Vicente Liloan diagnosed with Leukemia needs financial assistance for her chemotherapy. Immersion apply not only to both public and private senior high schools, but also to technicalvocational institutions offering the different academic strands.
“The DepEd allowed flexibility in the curriculum to adjust to the market. The design must be from knowing the theory to the application in considering the child protection policy and labor laws of the nation. If we want the learners to go further and have a meaningful learning, we need the industries to collaborate and provide the necessary opportunities to these learners,” explained Dr. Tomas Pastor, one of the panelists in yesterday’s forum.
Under Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Labor Advisory No. 9, students are allowed to immerse themselves in a workplace between 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. every day for a minimum of 80 hours or a maximum of 240 hours per term. Students below 15 years old need to have parent’s consent and shall be at the workplace for at most four hours a day.
In the same DOLE advisory, this work immersion shall not be considered as an employment
13 years old from Alaska, Mambaling, Cebu City diagnosed with severe Anemia needs financial assistance for her work up. from Tal-ut Valencia, Carcar City diagnosed with Immunodeficiency Syndrome needs financial assistance for his maintenance which is Human Immunoglobulin. arrangement.
The safety of the students while they are in the work immersion program was continually highlighted by the different government agencies during the conference yesterday.
Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) Executive Director Dr. Reynaldo Laguna pointed out the need for the academe and the industry to have a sit-down to understand the standards required by the industry and also for teachers to immerse themselves in the students’ given workplaces to have a better understanding on the working conditions and environment.
Dr. Danilo Gudelosao, assistant superintendent of DepEd Cebu City Schools Division, said that the Work Immersion Partner Institution Supervisor should be the one to supervise the students during the said immersion.
Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has emphasized the need for each institution to have their own child protection policy that demonstrates a commitment to safeguard children from harm.
“Without the organization’s Child Protection Policy, it would be really hard to conduct a check-and-balance as to whether there are abuses or not,” said Ms. Maricel Madamba, a social welfare officer of DSWD.
In relation to Republic Act (R.A.) 9231 or the “Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act”, the DOLE has implemented Department Order No. 149 which provides guidelines for assessing hazardous work areas for working students under 18 years old.
DOLE forbids all Senior High students engaging in these types of work immersions: mining, construction, transportation, waste management, water supply, forestry and logging, security and investigation, manufacturing (e.g. tobacco, alcoholic beverages), farm-related work, sales and services industry, integrated-science-related work, including as personal and protective workers.
Both the industries and the senior high schools agree that a minimum of 80 hours is not enough for students to be fully immersed in the practices of the workplace.