Luistro hurls challenge at student trainees

MANILA, Philippines — Education Secretary Armin Luistro has challenged the student trainees of the Department of Education’s (DepEd) Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES) to convince the out-of-school youths (OSYs) in their communities to also invest in education through the Open High School Program (OHSP) and the Alternative Learning System (ALS).

“It is an inalienable right of every individual to receive education which will enable him to become a productive and well-rounded citizen,” said Luistro as he met with the 150 student trainees of the SPES initiated by DepEd and Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE). “Education is both an investment for an individual and his country,” he said.

Luistro said that the SPES is a great opportunity for the DepEd to involve its trainees in achieving the Education For All (EFA) goal. “We do not only envision bringing all children of school-age to school but our commitment goes as far as reaching out to out-of-school youths and giving them a chance to receive an education through DepEd’s open high school and ALS programs,” Luistro said.

He added that SPES trainees will be of big help to the department to reach the unreached, underserved, and neglected youth by promoting OHSP and what it is about. “Despite your only 40-day stay in the department, I wish that you would be leaving a legacy to be remembered by the education sector through reaching out to your fellow youths,” Luistro told the student trainees.

OHSP, which started in 1996, is an alternative mode of delivering secondary education. It puts a premium on independent, self-pacing and flexible study to reach learners who are unable to start or complete secondary education due to problems of time, distance, physical impairment, financial difficulties or family problems.

Aside from OHSP, DepEd will also scale up the use of Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM). This includes the Modified In-School/Out-School Approach (MIS-OSA), parent-assisted learning, and multi-grade education. Developed with the assistance of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), MIS-OSA utilizes self-instruction materials.

Parent-assisted learning program trains parents to tutor their children at home. This allows bonding time and gives parents the opportunity to know what their children learn about.

On the other hand, multi-grade education is implemented in isolated areas with only a small population of school-aged children. “Here, one teacher can teach up to three levels in elementary to a group of children of varying ages at the same time. It requires special training and creativity,” Luistro pointed out.

He said that being students themselves, the trainees realize the real value of education. “Who else can better advocate education than these students? And because SPES trainees are those who give high priority to education despite coming from economically-challenged families, we believe they possess the inspiration to urge their communities to invest in education,” Luistro said.

“We count on them as they go around their respective communities, talk to OSYs and their parents, and spread the message that poverty should not be a hindrance but a motivation to continue dreaming for a better life and make these dreams more attainable through proper educational interventions,” he said.

Luistro also urged the trainees to conceptualize creative projects and sponsorships to suit the needs of OSYs. “These activities, if successfully done, may contribute to the transformation of the country’s basic education,” he said. –INA HERNANDO-MALIPOT, Manila Bulletin