...the education program

DepEd moves to boost kindergarten education

By INA HERNANDO-MALIPOT

April 9, 2011,

Manila Bulletin

MANILA, Philippines – To universalize quality kindergarten education and to ensure that all Grade I pupils develop the necessary learning experiences to prepare them for academic work, the Department of Education (DepEd) will start implementing the Kindergarten Summer Program (KSP) in all schools for eight weeks starting on Monday, April 11, until June 3.

Education Secretary Armin Luistro issued Department Order No. 23 series of 2011 which states that the KSP is part of DepEd’s strategy to reach more children.

The KSP program shall include all regions, divisions, and schools. “It will be taken as a compensatory opportunity in education for children who were unable to avail themselves of the Kindergarten Regular Program,” he added.

Luistro said the Philippine Education For All (EFA) 2015 Plan of Action cites that attaining success in the first grade encourages children to complete regular elementary education. “This condition supports the findings of worldwide studies that children exposed to the quality of pre-school experiences determine their performance in the higher grades,” he explained.

To yield more EFA benefits, the DepEd, through the Bureau of Elementary Education (BEE), continuously expands and intensifies the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) - kindergarten education coverage to all children aged from three to five years.

Since 1970, the BEE has been implementing the pre-school program. However, as of 2010, only 79 percent of the 2.4 million kindergarten children from both public and private schools had been reached. The figure, said Luistro, shows the low readiness of Grade 1 pupils who are lacking in academic work and the prevailing high incidence of non-readers and frustration readers until Grade III.

Kindergarten Summer Classes (KSCs) shall be handled by permanent kindergarten teachers and those who were hired under the DepEd Subsidized Kindergarten Program during the school year.

“Each class shall have a minimum of 20 and a maximum of 25 enrollees,” Luistro said.

Children qualified to enroll in the KSP shall include those who will be in Grade 1 by June, 2011. “They must be five years old and six months, but without pre-school experience, and children above five years and six months, but without pre-school experience and have not enrolled in Grade 1,” Luistro explained.

To ensure that teachers will be properly trained, DepEd-BEE has conducted a national training of trainers who will form the cadre of trainers on the division level. “We will also provide each division pre-school kit and manual that will guide kindergarten coordinators in the conduct of training,” Luistro said.

In preparation for KSP, Luistro encouraged all school officials and teachers to conduct an advocacy forum and meeting with the local government units (LGUs) and parents to orient them on the importance of the program and draw community support. “They should also seek cooperation and assistance of local or barangay officials to find or identify children who will enroll in Grade 1 this coming school year,” he said.