DepEd supports ‘farm schools’

The author is Teacher II at Sta. Tereza 2nd High School, Lubao, Pampanga Sheryl C. Lopez

The Department of Education (DepEd) is supporting the establishment of “farm schools” in every province in the country to equip learners with agricultural skills and develop sustainable farming. DepEd officials are keen on supporting this proposal because through farm schools, they will be able to provide not only for physical needs as people in terms of nutritious food, but also beauty. They highlighted the importance of the relationship between agriculture and the education sector, saying the role of agriculture, the production of food, the provision of employment, and the sustenance of people to agriculture, is really given so much more importance and attention. They also said no country and no human being can survive without food. Food comes from the agricultural sector, and food is grown by farmers, peasants, workers who are also products of the country’s educational system. The establishment of farm schools will provide contextualized career agricultural options to the learners from the secondary level through the Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM) compliant with the K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum. Farm school curriculum shall follow the core subjects of DepEd with a focus on agrifishery, forestry, farm entrepreneurship, community development, education for sustainable development, and other community-specific topics. Factors in farm school establishment include wide land areas, livestock and poultry areas, proximity to sugarcane plantations, rice fields, fruits and vegetable farms, and rivers.