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Zamboanga City, April 11, 2005 - To effectively address
the state of education in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
(ARMM), there is an urgent need to mobilize non-government financial
resources and for the ARMM Regional Government to collaborate
with the private sector on educational matters.
"For
the past 25 years, the quality of education in what we now call
the ARMM has drastically deteriorated. We must do something immediately
to arrest this deterioration," said ARMM Governor Parouk Hussin,
as he addressed the more than 350 participants at the ARMM Educator's
Congress.
The
statistics reveal the magnitude of the problem.
For
example, recent figures show that functional literacy in the ARMM
is 61 percent, compared with Luzon's 86 percent. The enrollment
ratio for students in ARMM's high schools is 31 percent, compared
with the 92.5 percent in NCR and even 60 percent in Region 12,
one of Mindanao's most depressed areas.
Out
of 10 students who enroll in elementary school, two will drop
out and fail to enroll in each of the following years. Only one
in 10 enrollees who originally entered Grade 1 will be able to
graduate from high school within the normal time frame.The economic
consequences of this are wide-spread poverty, lack of economic
growth, low quality and non-competitive inputs and lawlessness.
Governor
Hussin strongly supported the views expressed by Asian Institute
of Management (AIM) Professor Mario Lopez, who pointed out during
the Congress that non-traditional sources for educational funds
must also be considered, including the private sector, non-government
organizations, Parent-Teacher Community Associations, and local
government units.
"Every
institution and sector must see itself as having a stake in the
venture of improving education in the ARMM," the Governor said,
adding that the region's limited education budget "should not
serve as a stumbling block but instead be a challenge for educators
to innovate and seek non-traditional means of teaching our people."
He
also called on the region's educators to help ensure maximum impact
of education resources "through their appropriate and efficient
use."
Gov.
Hussin lauded USAID's Growth with Equity in Mindanao 2 (GEM-2)
Program for the successful implementation of its Computer Literacy
and Internet Connection (CLIC) and Education Awareness and Support
Effort (EASE) Programs, both of which are helping address deficiencies
in the ARMM education system.
The
Governor said that the CLIC and EASE Programs "are providing a
wider arena for learning that is not confined to the four walls
of the classroom."
The
CLIC Program supports the effort of the national government and
Department of Education-ARMM to expand computer literacy and prepare
students and teachers in the ARMM and neighboring conflict-affected
areas to work in a world that depends on information technology.
To date, it has assisted 156 public high schools and elementary
schools with a combined enrollment 160,000 students and more than
5,000 teachers.
The
EASE Program, through its Matching Grants component, encourages
communities to identify achievable and affordable activities that
can enhance the quality of education in their school. The program
helps parents, teachers, business support organizations, and students
find an entry point for addressing specific educational needs
in schools, while efficiently mobilizing the community's resources.
Joan
de Belen, EASE Manager, explained during the Congress that a major
component of the EASE Program is designed to increase awareness
of stakeholders of the challenges confronting ARMM's educational
system "by encouraging the formation of ARMM Education Champions."
She
said that the EASE Program's Matching Grant component dovetails
with the formation of this network of education champions "by
serving as a motivation for fund-raising efforts of PTCAs."
Ms.
de Belen likewise reinforced the statements of earlier Congress
speakers, as she underscored the importance of forging stronger
partnerships with the private sector, particularly PTCAs and business
support organizations, in solving problems facing ARMM education.
A
Focus Group Discussion (FGD) facilitated by the GEM Education
and Governance Team, was conducted during the Congress and attracted
participation from ARMM assistant school division superintendents,
school district supervisors, school principals, and English and
Science language teaching supervisors.
During
the FGD, participants identified crucial management and policy
challenges confronting ARMM education, such as: lack of sufficient
education funds; insufficient skills of ARMM Dep-Ed administrators;
mismatch of teacher expertise with the subjects being taught;
and the lack of coordination between Dep-Ed National and Dep-Ed
ARMM.
To
address the identified concerns, the participants recommended
that teachers and administrators become more creative and consider
"out of the box" ideas to expand educational services including:
alternative sources of funds; analyzing the extent of the "skills
mismatch" among teachers and formulate appropriate recommendations
to address the issues; and organize regular "information sharing"
meetings among Dep-Ed National, Dep-Ed ARMM and the schools to
improve the communication flow among the partner-stakeholders.
(Luis Mendoza, Jr., GEM Program)
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