In June 2016, the Philippines will begin K-11 and later K-12 classes.
Everybody is anxious about this educational innovation. With it, we will be at par with other countries in the world that have 12 years of basic education prior to college.
Anywhere in the world that our students will go, especially those whose parents are OFWs, they will find it easier to transfer to a school abroad because their academic preparation in the elementary and secondary level will now be streamlined for connectivity. Let us just hope that the DepEd leadership will maintain the enthusiasm of teachers and trainers.
There’s a need to reinforce “quality” teaching over “quantity” teaching through stepped up efforts to solidify pre-service and in-service preparation of practicum trainees and teachers.
More incentives can do magic for motivation. By then, parents and students will realize that our government is sincere in its intention of raising the bar of Philippine education.
In this connection, Cebu Cherish School, Inc. has initiated the Quality Teaching Centrum, where observers, practicum trainees, even new teachers (licensed or not) can go to train and learn quality teaching at its best.
Cherish serves as an “incubation center” where teaching specialists train or mentor those who seek more coaching for competence and confidence building. Inquiries can be made with the Centrum coordinator.
At present, observers from Cebu Normal University (CNU) and practicum trainees from the University of Southern Philippines have begun their orientation. Actual training follows in December and January.
The training covers not only content or theory application but also creative strategies in classroom management and in making lessons interesting, easy and memorable. In short, love for learning is enhanced.
One practicum trainee is from Denmark under the Erasmus student exchange program. She’s half-Cebuana and eager to learn about her mother’s roots and local culture in her study of Social Pedagogy in Cebu at Cherish.
The Cherish initiative is three pronged. First, it intensifies the training of “life coachers” so that Cherish students will profit from the heightened competence of the faculty. Second, it provides for firsthand modeling for practicum trainees to benchmark. Finally, this can inspire other institutions to strive for quality teaching in stead of just complying with the K to 12 curriculum.
Cherish’s lineup of professors include CPA-lawyer Dean Decal, US-trained educators Dr. Bernardita Soledad, Dr. Angel Pesirla, Prof. Joe Laping and Nancy Berame and Dr. Russel Makiling.
Dr. Ester Balgue Velasquez, director of Cebu Cherish School Inc., is a former president of Cebu National University. She has taught in all levels for almost 50 years.