UP Ibalon Bicol: DepEd

Showing posts with label DepEd. Show all posts

Shortened learning hours: an obstacle to education in RP's crowded schools

9/16/2009 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post

A setback in the thrust to improve teaching and make better students, the Department of Education (DepEd) was forced to cut down on the teaching hours for elementary students because of overcrowding and safety concerns. The revised program was an answer to the worrisome increase in the number of students that hadn't provided a good environment to learning.

Under the revised program, Grades 1 and 2 will have four hours; Grade 3--- four hours and 30 minutes, and Grades 4, 5, and 6---5 hours.

“Grades 1 and 2 pupils will have 90 minutes each for English and Filipino, Sibika at Kultura and 70 minutes each for mathematics for a total of 240 minutes on a daily basis. Grade 3 pupils will have 90 minutes for English, 70 minutes for Filipino, Sibika at Kultura, 70 minutes for math and 40 minutes for science for a total of 240 minutes. Grades 4, 5 and 6, they will have 60 minutes each for English, 40 minutes for Heograpiya, Kasaysayan at Sibika, 60 minutes for math, 60 minutes for science, 40 minutes for Filipino and 40 minutes for Edukasyon Pantahanan at Pangkabuhayan for a total of 300 minutes for each grade.

To compensate for the revised program, Lapus said science and health will be integrated into the English subject for Grades 1 and 2 while Sibika and Kultura will be integrated into Filipino in Grades 1, 2I and 3. For Grades 4, 5 and 6, Musika, Sining at Edukasyong Pampalakas ng Katawan will be integrated into Heograpiya, Kasaysayan at Sibika while Edukasyong Pagpapakatao will be integrated into all subjects.” ---Jesli Lapus, Education Secretary. Daily Tribune (09/15/09, Faustino, J.)

Student-Class Ratio

Country-------------------Number of Students per Class
===============Elementary=========High School
Philippines------------43.9----------------------56.1
Thailand---------------22.9--------------------- 41,5
India--------------------40------------------------39
Malaysia--------------31.7-----------------------34
Japan------------------28.6----------------------33.9

Alhough Lapus assures that the quality of education will not suffer with the shortening of study hours, integrating subjects in a shortened hours of learning poses significant obstacle. This is more true when one sees the overpopulatinn in Philippine schools compared to those of its Asian neighbors. The crowding is worse in the high school than elementary as shown above.(Photo Credit: unesco.net.) =0=

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Labels: Department of Education, DepEd, Jesli Lapus, overpopulation, public school, safety, Students, Totie Mesia

Dep Ed’s P427 million noodle contract revoked

5/28/2009 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post

After criticisms and corruption charges, the Department of Education (Dep Ed) secretary Jesil Lapus was forced to recind the P427 million contract with a regular supplier of “fortified” noodles for its nutrition program for school children. The cancellation resulted after complaints that the foodstuff the public school system plans to distribute this year has not passed through normal bidding process, are overpriced, and lack nutritional value.

The irregularity in the procurement was bared by whistleblower Dennis Quido of Kolonwell Trading, a government contractor. He said DepEd’s Bids and Awards Committee (BAC,) under Teodosio Sangil Jr. was in violation of the terms of reference for fortified noodles. According to Quido, the anomaly has been going on for several years now.

For the past 5 years, Jeverps Manufacturing Corp. was the only bidder to supply the noodles amounting to about P750 million under the Food for the Schools Program. In an attempt to correct the scandalous scam, a new rebidding of the contract will be conducted.

Corruption in a nutrition program intended to help malnourished children is plainly unacceptable. (Photo Credit: Nephatic Gren) =0=

RELATED BLOG: "Noodles for "brighter minds" in DepEd’s nutrition program draws sharp criticism" Posted by mesiamd at 4/23/2009

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Labels: children, Corruption, Corruption in Government, Department of Education, DepEd, feeding project, Jesil Lapus, noodles, Noodles Republic, nutrition, public school, Totie Mesia

Quarantine of 3 possible Swine flu sufferers in Cebu

5/06/2009 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post

It’s a waiting game for three individuals who were quarantined in Cebu on suspicion that they harbor the H1N1 flu virus. A Filipino who was detected to be running fever by thermal scan at Cebu Airpot was isolated together with his wife after they arrived from their trip which brought them to Ireland, Hongkong then to Cebu via Cathay Pacific Fight.

They were sequestered in quarantine rooms at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center pending the results of their laboratory tests crucial in determining if they have the pig flu. With them was an Englishwoman who voluntarily came to the hospital on May 4, 2009 to complain of cough and colds after visiting Mexico and Hongkong, places where the swine virus had been reported.

Renan Cimafranca, the head of the Regional Epidemiology Surveillance Unit said that the public will be notified of the laboratory tests sent to the DOH’s Research Institute of Tropical Medicine (RITM )in Alabang on the three individuals as soon as they are available. Although the swine influenza seems to behave like the seasonal flu, caution and vigilance are advised because the behavior of the new flu strain isn’t completely known.

Since no swine flu has so far been detected in the Philippines, the Department of Education (DePEd) has no plan to interrupt the schedule of opening of classes in June. Health authorities in Cebu are confident of their readiness to tackle the H1N1 virus infection after learning from their experience in controlling Severe Acure Repiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2002-2003. (Photo Credit: AP/ Gregory Bull) =0=

Labels: Cebu, DepEd, DOH, epidemic, H1N1 virus, Health, illness, infection, Medicine, quarantine, Research Institute of Tropical Medicine, RITM, Swine flu, Totie Mesia

Noodles for "brighter minds" in DepEd’s nutrition program draws sharp criticism

4/23/2009 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post

The Council of Health and Development (CHD) through its director, Dr. Eleanor A. Jara decried the “deceitful and scandalous” distribution of poorly nutritious noodles by the Department of Education (DepEd) in its “Food for the School” program.

According to Dr. Jara, a total of 19,418,880 packs of overpriced salty instant noodles were allotted to 19 million public school children in the Philippines, but the food is hardly nutritious. P400 million pesos have been allotted to the feeding program that hopes to give “brighter minds” to many malnourished students.

Nutritional Value of a typical Noodle Pack:

Serving size: 1.5 oz. (42 grams/1/2dry noodle block and 1 tsp. of seasoning)
Calories: 190
Total Fat: 7 grams
Sodium: 910 mg
Carbohydrates: 26 grams
Protein: 5 grams

CHD, a national consortium of more than 50 community-based health organizations, advises that instead of masking the nutrition problem of Filipinos, the government must look into the causes and solutions of poverty in the country. (Photo Credit: Claudebarutel) =0=

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Labels: Council of Health and Development, Department of Education, DepEd, Dr. Eleanor Jara, food, malnutrition, noodles, Noodles Republic, nutrition, public school, Totie Mesia

UP Ibalon Bicol

Shortened learning hours: an obstacle to education in RP's crowded schools

Dep Ed’s P427 million noodle contract revoked

Quarantine of 3 possible Swine flu sufferers in Cebu

Noodles for "brighter minds" in DepEd’s nutrition program draws sharp criticism

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