Deped enjoins community in addressing resource gaps

The Department of Education set aside a whole month for school officials, teachers, parents and other community stakeholders to plan ways of addressing education resource gaps and implementing different intervention programs to ensure that all children are in school by the opening of classes in June.

Education Secretary Armin Luistro FSC said all its efforts should redound to more children attending school and completing basic education. "With the leadership of the school heads, our target is to come up with concrete guidelines to ensure that all early enrollees in January 2012 will report to school in June," Luistro added.

The Department of Education has declared January 28, 2012 as the day for expanded early registration in all public elementary and secondary schools for School Year 2012-2013.

This year, Deped has expanded the target of early registration to include out-of-school children and youth and learners with disability. Last year, the early registration covered only kindergarten which jumpstarted the K to 12 basic education reform program as well as Grade 1 pupils and First Year high school students.

" The information that can be generated from the early registration will be an important input in the planning that we will be conducting immediately after so that we can address potential resource needs in time for the opening of classes in June," Luistro pointed out.

The multi-stakeholder planning will cover school plans to address additional classrooms, teachers, textbooks and seats. The school heads will also take up thoroughly the differentiated program interventions that are appropriate for kindergarten, Grades 1 to 6, as well as first to fourth year high school students.

Intervention programs will also be mapped out for out-of-school children and youth to enable them to complete schooling. The differentiated program interventions may include alternative delivery modes, alternative learning systems and non- conventional teaching strategies.

Part of the planning is for school superintendents to identify available resources such as excess teachers, volunteer teachers, textbooks, supplementary learning materials, seats as well as available Special Education Fund.

Moreover, the superintendents are also tasked to initiate consultative dialogues with the LGUS and other stakeholders to discuss possible support that may be provided to priority schools.