PBSPVRO

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

XU, SMART, PBSP, DepEd partner for CommuniTeach

XU, SMART, PBSP, DepEd partner for CommuniTeach
Philippine Information Agency
February 22, 2011


CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Misamis Oriental, Feb. 22 -- Xavier University (XU) signed a Memorandum of Agreement with SMART Communications Inc, Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), and the Department of Education (DedEd) Region 10 for CommuniTeach, a project seeking to reduce dropout rates in public elementary schools.

The program initiated by SMART aims to enhance the performance of public elementary school children through community teaching-feeding activities.

Through the National Service Training Program (NSTP), XU has been implementing CommuniTeach in adopted elementary schools in Consolacion, Camaman-an, and Upper Carmen since September last year.

Among the activities that have been carried out are tutors’ training, parents’ orientation, baseline evaluation, feeding sessions, and regular Saturday learning sessions for the lowest performing students in the adopted schools.

“We are happy and privileged to be one of the chosen schools,” shared teacher Dr. Ma. Lodel Daabay, Principal of Camaman-an Elementary School adding, “The eight modules in values formation helped a lot in developing our students’ self-confidence.”

To ensure community participation and sustainability, the program engages the Parents-Teachers Community Association as well as the aid of DepEd and the academe to provide logistics and manpower. PBSP provides funding support.

“Education is everybody’s business,” said Stephanie Orlino, manager of the education program of SMART. She emphasized the importance of getting together various stakeholders for the program to become successful. “Let’s all work together to help our children.”

University President Fr Jose Ramon Villarin conveyed his joy in having Xavier students participate in the program. “I’m glad that you enlisted our students because we really want to get involved.”

He stressed that amid all the progress in technology, there is still a need for social progress.

0 comments: