DepEd courts barangay involvement in education

By NINFA B QUIRANTE, PIA Samar
January 4, 2012

CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar  –  The Department of Education (DepED) is courting the barangays for its needed support in education.

Claire Menda, Information Officer of DepEd Samar thinks that this is an idea to ‘solidify’ the school and barangay.

“We train our school heads, teachers and barangay officials together to make sure that they have a common understanding of what we envision to achieve,” Menda said.

Presently, the barangay officials are aware that DepEd is facing challenges especially on the holding power of the schools over the children.

“This is one of the three big goals that DepEd needs to achieve, one is to see to it that all school-age children are in school, next is to make sure that those in school, stay until the last day in school and those who are in school get quality education,” the DepEd official said.

She mentioned that barangay officials are not only involved during the ‘Brigada Eskwela” when communities forge alliances to prepare schools during the opening but also to help the schools weld that ‘holding power’ for students.

DepEd seeks to unite a grand alliance among government organizations, families and individuals in meeting the basic learning needs of all children.

During education summits that are periodically held, the barangays especially those in remote areas appeal to teachers to minimize their absences so that school children become inspired always to report to school.

“We can not always monitor them, the barangays help us do that,” Menda said.

The teachers in turn renew their commitment to hold classes the whole five days, Menda said.

The barangays keep an eye on the schools, make sure that classes are held regularly and in turn extend affordable support to their activities.