Holistic, innovative strategies win awards for schools

At Pasig Elementary School (PES), students do not only know how to plant and grow fruit-bearing trees and vegetables. They also know how to market their produce and make a profit.

Committed to the Pasig City government’s clean-and-green program, PES has integrated into its curriculum, in the Edukasyong Pantahanan at Pangkabuhayan subject, lessons on agriculture and entrepreneurship.

Now, the school uses the students’ produce for its feeding program. It also earns additional income by recycling school waste into useful items that it sells.

Principal Emelita Medina said other schools were following their example and were adopting aquaponics (a combination of fish and plant production) and hydroponics (a method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions in water, without soil) technologies.

The initiative earned PES a citation for Innovations in Learning Methodologies and Delivery Systems for Learning Effectiveness at this year’s Excellence in Educational Transformation Awards (EETA).

Now on its third year, EETA awards schools that implement programs and strategies that encourage better learning and “change the way teaching and learning is done in the country.”

Eduardo A. Morato Jr., president and chair of Bayan Academy for Social Entrepreneurship and Human Resource Development, said EETA aimed “to encourage educational reforms all over the country.”

A project of Bayan Academy, with Knowledge Channel Foundation and Rex Book Store Inc., EETA recognizes “the innovative efforts of schools in transforming themselves into institutions that promote learning effectiveness and school efficiency while being true to their vision, mission and values.”

Most transformative

Xavier School in San Juan City led this year’s EETA winners as the Most Transformative School. It was cited for incorporating its vision, mission and values in its Subject Action Goals and Action Goals for Formation. Xavier modified its curriculum to make it more relevant and responsive to students.

Xavier School president Fr. Aristotle C. Dy, S.J., said the school expressed its “vision-mission goals in six Cs: competence and character, conscience and compassion, culture and community.”

Dy said the six Cs were the bases for formulating lesson plans, instructional materials, elective courses for second and third year students; formation modules for parents, the use of technology for education and the China study program for Chinese-Filipino students.

GIFT for the talented

Two schools were recognized by EETA for Innovations in Curriculum Design and Development for Learning Effectiveness.

Believing in the giftedness of every student, St. Paul College-Pasig developed the Giftedness Instruction for Talent (GIFT) Development Program. The program offers 40 courses in five areas—sports, performing arts, visual arts, communication arts and culinary arts—to nurture students’ talents and help them determine their future college and career paths.

What started as activities of school clubs and organizations became specialized courses taught by industry experts.

“We believe that everyone has a talent …. Everyone must be given the chance to develop [himself/herself],” said Sr. Dedicacion Rosario, director.

Sisters of Mary of Banneux Inc. has a live-in campus in Silang town, Cavite province, where underprivileged but deserving girl students are given the opportunity to excel in academics while learning technical and vocational skills.

Sr. Gertrudes Dayag, principal, said students were taught technical-vocational skills because “we want them to be self-sufficient and self-reliant.”

Each winning school received P300,000. They will also be featured in Morato’s book on educational transformation, “Excellence in Educational Transformation: Text and Cases Vol. 3,” which discusses in detail the innovations they implemented in their schools.

Knowledge Channel Foundation president Rina Lopez-Bautista said they believed that “by investing in schools that strive for excellence in all aspects, we are also investing in a better future where Filipinos thrive in a culture of learning and excellence.”

“We want to support whatever efforts are being made … to improve … Philippine education,” said Rex Book Store chief operating officer Don Timothy Buhain.

“We participated in this competition … to share our innovations with a wider community,” said Dy. “We believe that education is dynamic and must constantly adapt and innovate to suit … students today.”