Monday, December 10, 2012

PIA: Reforms in DepEd-ARMM moving forward

By Perlita D. ChangcoMonday 3rd of December 2012

COTABATO CITY, Dec 3 (PIA) -- There’s no turning back as far as reforms are being instituted at the Department of Education (DepEd) in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DepEd-ARMM) is concerned, according to a local executive here.

DepEd-ARMM Assistant Secretary for Operations Noor Saada said, vigorous efforts are focused in the implementation and putting into action needed reforms and long-term solutions to controversies and negative reports hounding the agency during past administrations.

Saada said, he personally believes in the political will and decisiveness of President Aquino and Governor Mujiv Hataman in pursuing reforms in the autonomous region adding change cannot be achieved overnight.

“The key is political will. We build good foundation and we are modeling good practices, sound management and fiscal discipline at the DepEd-ARMM to show that it can be done and we can do it,” he said.

“We have gradually eliminated ghost schools, ghost pupils, and reports of non-reporting teachers in island provinces and questionable “substitute” teachers in mainland areas and have come up with inventory of schools and teachers in the region,” he explained.

Latest inventory shows there are 21,000 public elementary school teachers as he noted a decrease in the number of enrollees in ARMM by about 10 percent for school year 2012-2013.

The initial reforms presently being instituted, he said, include the conduct of regular management clinic of schools division superintendents, supervisors and staff, financial discipline, use of ATM, localization in the hiring of teachers, random audit (monitoring) by civil society groups, among others, Saada said.

Through instituting financial discipline, resourcefulness and established linkages, he said, school officials and teachers have the opportunity to undergo relevant trainings here and abroad for professional growth and promotion, he said.

For the first time, Saada said, that Teacher Induction Program was recently held involving 101 newly appointed elementary grade school teachers to develop the proper mind set of honest and efficient work attitude as public servants.

As a feedback mechanism, the agency has also established its Action Center for Education (ACE DepEd –ARMM) to cater to complaints.

Suggestions or comments via text through CP #09163585010 (Globe) 09088696077 (Smart), email: [email protected] or personally visit DepEd-ARMM, ARMM compound, Cotabato City. (PBC-PIA Cotabato City)

Concise version of this report as published in the Manila Bulletin, please click here ...

"Moral Governance"

English - "Good governance for a progressive and peaceful BARMM."

Sinama - "Hap pamarinta tudju BARMM na sambu maka salamat"

Bahasa Sug - "Dan mabuntul tudju pa BARMM masambu iban mahatul"

Meranaw - "Mathitu a kandatu sa BARMM ko katagompiya go kalilintad"

Slogan

"Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE)"