LEGAZPI CITY – The Department of Education (DepEd) Region V along with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) spearheaded the Regional Industry Leaders’ Conference: Private Sector Support for Early Grade Learning at The Marison Hotel, Legazpi City, on Wednesday, March 8.
The event was attended by 13 schools’ division offices (SDOs) from different provinces and cities in Albay along with several private sector representatives from Bicol and NCR.
In Dr. Thomas Le Blanc’s remark, the director of Education office, USAID Philippines, one of their pursuits is to help and assist the country to raise next generation leaders by means of raising good readers in their early years.
“I believe that raising the next generation of leaders begins with raising good readers in the early years. This endeavour involves not just the schools but also the leaders in the community,” he stated.
In collaboration with DepEd, USAID extends its ABC+ project to advocate for a mechanism that could alter the education issues into addressing and identifying its resources.
𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀’ 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗺
The executive director of the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) Elvin Ivan Uy also attended the said event and shared his insights about early grade learning through his welcoming remarks.
In an interview with Bicol.PH, Uy explained that he is saddened by the current situation of early learning in the country indicating that 29% of Filipino children are considered as stunted and their development in early education is also affected.
“So dahil meron silang stunting at nutrition issues nung bata sila, pagpasok nila ng Kinder, age 5, medyo marami nang naipon na tinatawag natin na deficits or disadvantages at kahit ano pa ang gawin ng ating DepEd or ng ating eskwelahan o ng mga magulang, marami sa mga deficits na ito ay magiging permanente,” Uy said.
He also emphasized that there is a need to prepare the children for early education even before reaching the age of five.
𝗕𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗖𝗮𝗳𝗲
As a simulation during the event, the organizers prepared an activity called the ‘World Cafe’ which instructs the participants to move along the stations prepared by the 13 SDOs of DepEd Region V.
A number indicated on a piece of paper was distributed per participant during the registration, this number stands for the station that the attendees will first visit during the World Cafe.
This opportunity was laid down to talk and communicate with the attendees including those that come from the private sectors in line with DepEd’s Learning Recovery Plan (LRP).
Among these stations, each representative from the designated SDO presented the current situation of the literacy and numeracy skills of their students as well as other engagements for the private sectors.
The SDOs prepared different visuals and presentations for their continuing initiatives and interventions that are in need of private sectors’ support or investments. | Danica Roselyn Lim
