Tutoring program for kids soon in Cebu City

The Cebu City government has sealed an agreement with the Department of Social and Welfare and Development (DSWD) to implement a tutoring program for children with college students as tutors.

Cebu City has been chosen as one of the areas in the country for the implementation of the “Tara, Basa” tutoring program that aims to address illiteracy among children, as well as offer educational assistance to college students who will serve as tutors.

The MOA signing was attended by Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama and DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian at the Cebu City Hall, yesterday (Friday), March 8, 2024.

Regional Director of DSWD Field Office (FO) -7 Shailane Marie Lucero, in her welcoming remarks, said this national program aims to advocate the importance of reading as it is among the vital foundations to enhance knowledge.

Citing the study of World Bank Learning Poverty in 2022, Lucero said that 90 percent of Filipino children struggle to read or comprehend simple text.

According to Lucero, the objective of ‘Tara Basa’ is to address illiteracy and to improve the reading abilities of Filipino children while also providing an avenue of exposure to college students who will serve as tutors for the program.

Usec. Eduardo Punay, undersecretary for Innovations Cluster of DSWD said the program is designed to ensure three phases of major assistance.

One is to provide financial assistance to eligible college students who will act as tutors through a cash-forwork mechanism.

For Cebu City, the partnered academe is Cebu Normal University (CNU).

Secondly, financial assistance is also being extended to parents of non and struggling readers while they are also being taught how to teach their children at home.

Further, Punay said that the program will also complement the programs of DepEd in improving the literacy among the learners.

“This is indeed a whole-of-government approach in tackling the national challenges,” said Punay.

In an interview, Gatchalian said the tutoring sessions will be conducted after the school year ends. Enlisted to tutor are 3rd and 4th-year college students who will be serving at least two hours for the next 20 days of the program but will be paid for the equivalent of the whole day.

“They will get paid for a minimum wage and in return, they will do the tutoring,” said Gatchalian in an interview with the reporters.

The DepEd has identified the particular areas and students who will be participating in the program according to their records.

The whole ‘Tara Basa’ program has a budget allocation of P900 million. -