DELA CERNA
According to the Philippine Institute of Development Studies, there is an alarming 57 percent dropout rate among junior public high school students.
Among the reasons are lack of interest due to overcrowded classrooms that challenge the endurance and patience of teachers, and making it more difficult for the student to focus on the lessons; poverty mind-set where children from the low-income group are pulled out from classes to help the family thus causing long absences. Studies also show that majority of high school students lack the basic skills in subjects like English and Math because of their poor foundation from the elementary years. One other pervasive problem is what has been established to be addiction to online gambling, which is, in actuality, addiction to online gambling, and addiction to internet use/gadgets.
Every public high school student is at risk of dropping out, hence the need of an immediate and lasting solution. KA.T.ON (Kaon + Tuon) or the Barangay Junior Public High School Tutorial Program initiated by the Barangay Impact Management and Support Services Corporation in 2015 is an innovative learning enhancement program that complements the Department of Education’s formal curriculum for Grades 7 to 10. Its main objective is to motivate junior high school students from public schools in their studies thereby increasing their chances of staying in school and completing their secondary education.
Tutorial sessions are free and are conducted every Saturday from 9 to 11 in the morning throughout one grading period or an equivalent to 10 weeks. Homework assistance is also given every Wednesday evening. There are also summer cycles to reinforce the tutorial sessions and to prepare for the next school year. Sessions are usually held in the barangay hall or in a venue provided by the barangay.
The barangay has the perfect access of junior high school students between Grades 7 and 10 because this is the age where they start to figure out their place in life. The volunteer tutors are college students and young professionals.
In every barangay, there are eight volunteer tutors to handle the 40 beneficiaries for a 1:5 ratio. It allows the volunteer tutor to focus on the individual learning needs of the tutees in the group. Aside from the volunteer tutors, here are two subject experts — one for math and another for English — and one team leader.
All volunteers participate in a mandatory IMPACT Tutor Certification Workshop prior to receiving their assignment in the barangay. This is a full-day intensive equipping and enabling workshop that prepares them to be more effective in creating a positive learning environment for the tutees. Tutors are also trained to teach values especially respect for others and cleanliness.
The community is also engaged through partnerships. There is the partnership with the parents who are always invited to every activity. There is also partnership with corporate sponsors considering the reality of no more donations or grants. Area is designed by the barangay that is conducive environment to learning. Learning materials and snacks are provided by KA.T.ON. As a cycle ender, there is the recognition of tutees like most eager to learn, most participative, most diligent.
This effective solution had for its pilot implementation in Barangay Luz in January 2016 with the leadership of Barangay Chairman Jerome Pagador.
Tutees also participate in the Entrepreneurship Exposure, an after-school experiential learning that offers a productive diversion from online gaming and online gambling. Twice a week, the tutees engage in a variety of learning experiences in the KA.T.ON kiosks located within the barangay.
There are four KA.T.ON SioHiongPao Barangay Kiosks in strategic locations around the barangay to make sure that the 40 beneficiaries can be accommodated..
A weekly incentive of Php60.00 is given to the tutees to guarantee that they will participate in the activities at the kiosks.
The sustainability of the program rests on the food business — the KA.T.ON SioHiongPao (siomai, ngohiong and siopao). Each product is crafted by hand to maintain the excellence in taste.
KA.T.ON (said as kat’on) is a combination of two verbs in Bisaya — “kaon” (to eat) and “tuon” (to study). Combined, they form another powerful synergized word, “kat’on” (to learn). The name summarizes the company’s core as a business with a social impact.
“Kada kaon, dunay makat-on (Every time someone eats KA.T.ON’s products, someone else gets to study)” aptly embodies the message of the sustainability platform.
On August 26, 2017, KA.T.ON was formally launched with four additional barangays to implement the program, namely Cogon Ramos, Centro Mandaue, Guadalupe and Apas. This means the need of 32 more volunteers for English and Math. There is a call for the volunteer spirit of young volunteers. Barangay Impact Visayas hopes to target 42,000 barangays in the country. Let us support them in making the junior public high school students #stay in school. For those interested, just get in touch with the abovementioned barangays.