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The Department of Education recently launched the “Project:
Turning Around Low Performance in English” (Project:TURN) which
seeks to reverse the low performance in English of 1,898 elementary
and 264 high schools nationwide, whose students got a Mean
Percentage Score of 34 percent and below in the 2007 National
Achievement Test.
Initially focusing on teacher development,
the project has three components. First calls for training of
teachers in oral and written communication.
The second component will prepare them to
teach reading to students who are beginning, developmental and
remedial readers.
And the third component will be the
teaching of communicative language and authentic assessment in
communication. Teacher-trainees will be provided with print and
non-print materials and lesson exemplars.
Meanwhile, students will be given
supplementary reading materials. They will continue to receive
medical, dental and food assistance as part of improving their
nutrition status.
“Schools will be provided with initial
library collections in addition to setting up of a speech laboratory
in a secondary school of each [public school] division. Along with
equipment, training and necessary instructional materials,
information and communication technology-based reading models will
also be provided,” said Education Secretary Jesli Lapuz said.
In support of this effort, summer reading
camps called Read-A-Thon will also be organized to further the
students’ reading progress. Special recognitions are also lined up
for the best performing reading teacher and best school in reading.
Private reading associations and
non-government organizations have already expressed support for the
project. The Education department will monitor, evaluate and provide
technical assistance to schools to ensure the program’s success.
-- James Konstantin Galvez
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