Educational strategies for future changes in skills and work

Keneth S. Tolentino

Curriculum change and development in the educational system of the country are both inevitable and continuous. This happens due to the changing demands and needs of the industry and the society in general. Also, these alterations in the education system are primarily concerned with the best interest, needs and capacity of the learners in order for them to be equipped with necessary skills, knowledge and attitude as they are regarded to be the navigator of their life.

Educational planning must be properly undertaken to ensure that the education sector could cater and respond appropriately to the needs of the educational system and the industry as well. Education is the fertile ground for learning and improvement at the same time serves as a platform for students in preparing them for the field of work. Short term, long term and strategic planning should be considered in order to meet the future needs in terms of skills specifically in the work industry. Furthermore, the department also considers the research-based studies, results and data conducted as the basis for policy reforms and implementation. Hence, research is also an indicator in planning education strategies as it provides accurate data from the first hand sources or concerned individuals.

The curriculum must be properly planned, organized, implemented, monitored and evaluated as this serves as the roadmap in honing the learners’ holistic development. Curriculum must be relevant, contextual, and seamless based on the nature of the learners. The curriculum design must fit to the culture, environment, needs and capacity of the learners that is observable on the content and performance standards. Furthermore, it must also adhere to national and international standards in order to assure the quality and competency of the learners. Teaching strategies must also be observed, as this will depend on the facility and delivery of content that will harness the mastery of the competency of the students. Teachers must employ appropriate teaching strategies by engaging different modality of teaching based on the nature of the learners with their learning diagnosis. This must also be improved through the help of the immediate supervisors and school principal by continuous monitoring in connection to Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers (PPST). Added to this, instructional materials must also give emphasis from the preparation and utilization in order to ensure if it is effective and efficient. Validation of the instructional materials should be done prior to its utilization to see its fits to curriculum and content standards.

Staff development is also one of the primordial concerns of school administrators, as teachers serve as front liners of the delivery of quality instruction and education. Need assessment should be conducted in order to identify the weaknesses, strengths and turning points of each teaching staff. Next, school administrators must plan a list of activities and training programs in order to fill the gap of teachers and non-teaching staff like In-service Training program (INSET), School Learning Action Cell (SLAC) and Professional Learning Community (PLC). Teachers and staff should also be encouraged to pursue professional studies and development courses and attend seminars and the like. Teachers and staff with mastery and expertise on certain aspects should be given the opportunity to train colleagues as this provides the master or expert teacher to share his/her expertise. Another, continuous monitoring, coaching and mentoring should be conducted in order to help staff to improve their craft. In this case, teachers are aware of the things that they should develop in their strategy and pedagogy. Lastly, school administrators can develop a reward system for the recognition of staff development and boost their morale as a person and a professional.

The provision of a safe and conducive learning environment can be achieved through well-planned and strategically organized physical plant. Schools regarded as the second home of learners should be designed appropriately as this contributes to the development of learners. School administrators must be proactive and must have calculated projections to cater the needs of the students in terms of physical aspect. The condition of the school site must be checked for its risk to certain hazards and danger. The school site must be strategically located in the community. The structures to be built must adhere to national standards like the Building Code of the Philippines and assessed by various experts. The school administrators should adhere to the standards of DepEd on the different facilities accessible to all students (including PWD) and teachers like classrooms, science laboratories, computers, chairs, tables and comfort rooms. Projection on the number of enrollees must be taken as this will indicate if school facilities can accommodate the needs of the learners. Physical facilities need continuous monitoring and evaluation for efficiency, adequacy and safety.

In general, school communities consisting of students, teachers, school administrators, parents, local government and non-government organizations must work hand in hand in order to provide the best learning experiences to learners for them to become responsible citizens. The curriculum, education staff and physical facilities are essential factors in providing access to quality education. And this can be done through proper, proactive, well-calculated projection of educational planning, whereas in the process, it involves planning, organizing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating.

--oOo-

The author is Teacher

III at Planas High School