US-patterned education highway for Philippines eyed

MANILA (PNA)—A Main Education Highway, apparently patterned after the “seamless” learning system in the United States, is being pushed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as part of efforts to make Filipinos globally competitive.

The program, which removes the barrier between preschool, grade school, high school, and college, will be a platform for reform in the country as advocated by education experts.

“I happened to have a first-hand look at the improvements we need to make to improve our educational system,” Arroyo said at the awarding ceremony of the 2009 Ten Outstanding Teachers in Malacanang this afternoon. “I have listened to what these science teachers, public servants, and stakeholders have to say. They came out with the Main Education Highway framework toward a knowledge-based economy.”

The seamless education system allows any person of any age to enroll in any subject he wishes, which is why a high school student can, at the same time, take college subjects.

“We envision seamless education from basic preschool education all the way up to grade school and high school education, to vocational school or college to make the Filipino fit for whatever job and challenge life will throw his way,” she said.

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2009 Ten Outstanding Teachers honored in Malacañang

MANILA (PNA)—President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Thursday conferred honors on the awardees of the 2009 Ten Outstanding Teachers of the Philippines.

The ten awardees are as follows:

—Lourdes L. Matan, Mag-Ubay Elem.School, Calbayog City;

—Gemma G. Cortez, Dasmarinas Elem School, Dasmarinas, Cavite;

—Benjamin M. Martinez, San Sebastian Elem. School, San Sebastian, Tarlac City;

—Eva B. Imingan, Nellie E. Brown Elem. School, West Bajac, Olongapo City;

—Shiela Faith M. Ganela, Phil. Science High School, Southern Mindanao Campus, Davao City;

—Rochelle D. Papasin, Phil. Science High School, Southern Mindanao Campus, Davao City;

—Ma. Petra A. Romualdo, Minapan High School, Minapan, Tulunan, North Cotabato;

—Zoilo J. Pinagcos, Jr., Leganes National High School, Guinobatan, Leganes, Iloilo;

—Dina Joana S. Ocampo, University of the Philippines, Diliman, QC;

—Dr. Ramon del Fierro, University of San Carlos, Cebu City.

The annual awards undertaken by the Metrobank Foundation gives recognition to outstanding teachers who raise  the quality of education through the use of innovative and creative techniques in the classrooms.

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Grade 6 achievement-test passing score lowered to 66 percent

MANILA—Officials of the Department of Education told a recent Senate hearing that  66 percent was made the average passing score of Grade 6 pupils in last year’s National Achievement Test—a move that, in effect, brought down the NAT passing standard of 75 percent. Even so, Education Undersecretary Vilma Labrador explained that other mitigating “measures” were given to schoolchildren so they could pass and move on to the next level.

She said the NAT was administered three months before the end of school year to enable teachers to see the “real condition of the educational system” and help them find ways to improve the academic skills of the pupils.

“You’ve created a world that all looks good, wonderful. We are fooling ourselves and the pupils by lowering the standards,” one of the senators remarked.

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First-time winners dominate Palanca Awards

This year saw the most number of first time winners—more than 60 percent—at the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, which is now in its 59th year.

Also, two literary professors from the University of the Philippines joined the esteemed roster of Palanca Hall of Fame awardees this year.

Professor Reuel Molina Aguila is a multi-awarded book and screenplay writer who now joins the list after winning his fifth first prize for “Ngunit Wala Akong Litrato Noong Nasa Kolehiyo Ako” under the Sanaysay category.

Also receiving the prestigious Hall of Fame distinction is professor Eugene Evasco, a celebrated children stories’ author, with his fifth first prize for “May Tiyanak Sa Loob Ng Aking Bag” under the newly introduced category, Tulang Isinulat Para Sa Mga Bata.

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Top chefs whip up recipe for RP education

MANILA— To entice the “best and brightest” of the country’s high school graduates to pursue a career in teaching, the Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) is holding Chefs for Education (C4E), a benefit dinner in September aimed at raising scholarship funds for them.

The benefit dinner is being put together by four of the Philippines’ best chefs jointly with some of the country’s leading businessmen, and this early is now being touted as “the social event of the year” and a “dinner of a lifetime.”

“It’s designed to increase awareness about the travails and problems of Philippine education and in particular the need to have more teachers,” businessman Ramon del Rosario Jr., the PBEd chair, said.

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Fun and hope come to Sulu teachers through books

PATIKUL, Sulu—Some 500 teachers and principals from six Sulu towns participated last August 17 in the Sulu Book Fair held here, an event sponsored by the US-funded Education Quality and Access for Learning and Livelihood Skills (Equalls2) Project.

Among the participants was Nurshida Pantasan, teacher-in-charge of the Licupun Elementary School in Omar town in Sulu. She said she was particularly interested in the books because they would be of help to her pupils in Licupun.

“It’s one of the fishing villages in our town, where children on school break help their parents either fishing in the sea or selling fish in the market. And those big Math books will give them more ideas about numbers,” she said.

On the other hand, Hadja Evelyn Salih, principal of the Julkanain Taup Central Elementary School in North Laud in Siasi town, said that she could hardly wait to get hold of the Reading and English books.

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Today's students choosing laptops, USB keys over pens, paper

By Calgary Herald, EducationNews Today

The old rhyme "no more paper, no more books, no more teachers' dirty looks" may be truer today than ever before—at least when it comes to the paper and the books.

A decade ago, a typical school backpack would be stuffed with a calculator, pens, highlighters, notebooks and three-ringed binders filled with lined paper.

But this week, as students start to head back to school, the contents of their backpacks will be much different.

USB memory sticks and portable hard drives have replaced notebooks and paper, while laptops are being used to take notes instead of pencils and binders.

"If you think back 10 years ago, certainly kids weren't bringing notebook computers to school," says Rick Atkinson, the director of merchandising at Staples, Inc. "Generally everything was written on paper and that's how they took notes."

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