By Ms JOAN
L. LAGATA
Education
Program Supervisor
Elementary
Education Division
Department
of Education Regional Office-V, Legazpi City
LEGAZPI
CITY: With barely two years remaining before the end of the Millennium
Development Goal in 2015, dropout school children and students remain one of
the main obstacles in achieving the "Education For All" (EFA)
campaign set out by the government through the Department of Education.
This is
especially true in Bicol Region as the result of a research study showed a
significant figure of dropouts particularly in secondary.
Though
there was a downward trend in dropout figures in elementary- 0.88 per cent in
school year 2009-10, 0.82% in 2010-2011 and 0.72% in 2011-12- the quantity was
still significant if converted into absolute numbers.
The
scenario becomes even more alarming in the case of high school students as it
reached five-digit figures.
The rate
was 5.62% in school year 2009-10, went up to 6.13% in 2010-11 and down to 5.43%
in 2011-12.
Converted
into absolute number, the dropouts in 2011-12 were about 21,154 based on actual
enrolment in secondary which totalled 389,582 as contained in the region's
Enhanced Basic Education Information System (EBEIS).
The top
three divisions in the elementary level which posted high dropout rates were
Sorsogon City with 1.32%,
Camarines
Sur-1.16 per cent and Masbate province-0.9 per cent while in secondary division
it was Camarines Norte which chalked up the highest at 7.99 per cent followed
by Masbate City with 7.78 per cent, Sorsogon province with 6.38 per cent and
Camarines Sur not far behind with 6.20 per cent.
Without
necessarily looking into the economic status of dropouts, it could be easily
determined that economically marginalized pupils and students composed the
biggest portion of the statistics.
In
elementary majority of the children cited child labour as the main cause for
dropping out at 15.92% while in secondary more than a quarter (26.92%) cited
plain poverty as the reason.
Also
listed as risk factors for elementary were transfer of residence (15.92 per
cent), poverty (13.63%), illness (11.36%), overage (9.09%), domestic problems
(6.82%), differently-able (6.82%), distance of home, differences in culture and
academically unprepared at 4.55% each, physical disability and transferred
without permanent record and juvenile delinquency with 2.27% each.
In
secondary, a shorter list of risk factors was noted though it was evident that
poverty was also the underlying common factor.
Child-labor
and distance from school both have 19.23% each in the list, transfer of residence
was cited by 7.69%, congested rooms, transfer to ALS and early marriage also got a similar rate at
3.85% each.
What is
unique in the secondary dropout statistics was the inclusion of students who
did not actually enter in the official list of enrolment, which got 11.53%
which means that about 2,439 were ghost students or pupils!
To address
the situation affected schools initiated some interventions which included home
visitation, dialogue with parents, intensification of "Gulayan sa
Paaralan", strengthening of Feeding Program, financial support to affected
students and modular learning.
Aside from
the interventions initiated by the elementary school administrations,
additional remedial measures were also suggested to them which include modular
learning for ill pupils and those who were needed at home periodically and the
conduct of remedial classes.
Non-instructional
mode were also suggested like home visitation, parent education, involvement of
parents in school activities, advancement of Adopt-A-Pupil Program, dialogue
with parents, counselling, strengthening community linkage, expansion of Gulayan
sa Paaralan to become income-generating project, completion of temporary
shelter for pupils and repair of classrooms.
In
secondary level, the instructional interventions advocated were the use of EASE
modules for seasonal absentee, conduct of remedial classes and the
implementation of the Open High School Program and the non-instructional
interventions similar to that of the elementary level.
As a
result of the research study, and based on the findings and conclusions, some
recommendations were forwarded which include:
1. Organization of Regional and Division
Alternative Delivery Modes (ADMs) Teams which shall be properly capacitated so
that they can closely monitor and properly act on dropout problems;
2. Crafting of annual work plan in both regional
and division levels with the end in view of reducing if not totally eliminating
the dropout in Bicol Region;
3. Orientation of Principals and the school
DORP teams on the significance of their roles specially in identifying the
needs of pupils/students at-risk of dropping out as well as on how they can
initiate interventions to address those needs;
4. Advising or cautioning school heads against
submitting inaccurate data of enrolments and dropouts as part of the EBEIS
which seriously affect regional database;
5. Conduct of orientation and trainings for
division ADM teams, school principals and elementary and secondary teachers on
the implementation of ADMs like Modified In-School Off-School Approach
(MISOSA), Instructional Management by Parents, Community and Teachers (IMPACT)
and the Open High School Program (OHSP);
6. Close monitoring and supervision of schools
implementing MISOSA, IMPACT,OHSP and locally-developed interventions; and
7. Regular annual assessment of the impact of
implementation of ADMs and locally-developed interventions for possible
revisions, adjustments and benchmarking.
Needless
to say, the battle against dropout problem is a work in progress.
It's a
tedious process that needs the full attention and cooperation not only of the
school administrators and teachers but most especially of the students and
their parents in particular and the community in general. -- Bicol Mail
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