Thursday, December 11, 2008

School Heads Met for National Educators Congress

Department of Education (DepEd) officials along with representatives from the public and private basic education system convened at the Teachers Camp in Baguio City for the 2008 National Educators' Congress held last December 2-4, 2008.

With the theme, "Transforming Organizations: Lessons in Excellence," the event aims to further sharpen their management tools and professional skills, enhance existing programs, and build new interventions geared in achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals 2 (universal primary education) and 3 (promoting gender equality and women empowerment).

Present during the event were DepEd central office heads, led by Secretary Jesli Lapuz. Also, 170 regional and 760 division participants shared their outstanding programs which address the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Education For All (EFA) goals and targets. EFA aims to meet the learning needs of all children, youth and adults by 2015. Selected principals, teachers and parent representatives of the Parents Teachers Community Association (PCTA) were also among the other participants of the congress.

During the program, DepEd forged partnership with private companies Microsoft Philippines, McDonald’s Corporation ,ACER Philippines, and NEC Philippines.

DepEd signed a memorandum of understanding with Microsoft for “Partners in Learning Version 2”. With this, Microsoft has renewed its commitment to partners in learning in the Philippines for the next five years. The Department also signed a letter of agreement with Microsoft for DepEd’s computerization and laptop for teachers program. The agreement is called Partnership for Technology Access or PTA and it focuses on developing successful private and public partnership that is driven by synergy.

DepEd also signed an MOU with McDonalds Corporation, to hire qualified graduating students of public schools as part-time employees at McDonald’s restaurants. The MOU will enable students who are experiencing financial difficulties, to have an extra-source of income. This program will also help qualified students grow their career and learn leadership skills.

A ceremonial turn-over was also held during the program, for the equipments of ACER Philippines and NEC Philippines to be donated to selected school divisions of DepEd from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

Lastly, the National Educators’ Congress served as culminating event of the Baguio Teachers’ Camp centennial celebration. To commemorate the event, two books for the Baguio Centennial were launched during the said event - a coffee table book entitled ‘Let Teachers Come Forth: Baguio Teachers Camp Centennial 1908 to 2008’ authored by a team of writers led by Dr. Juliet Mallari of the University of the Philippines and a history textbook titled “Teachers Camp, a centennial book” by Dr Lino Dizon, consultant to the Secretary of Education on Teachers Camp and the curator of the Camp’s Museum and Art Gallery.

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