By Leilanie G. Adriano
Staff reporter
LAOAG CITY—To address various issues confronting education today, Ilocos Norte education officials are looking into the power of partnerships or a collective action to strengthen programs and projects geared towards the development of 21st century learners.
Initiated by the Ilocos Norte Schools Division of Ilocos Norte, over 200 participants composed of educators, parents, alumni, heads of agencies, including local government units, public and private organizations attended a seminar-workshop on innovative education investments in partnerships at the SDOIN conference hall as they came up with draft action plan promoting the welfare of learners in the province.
“Through this forum, we hope to build better ties and to promote understanding between and among all the education stakeholders of the province,” said Ilocos Norte schools division superintendent Vilma Eda.
With the help a freelance international governance consultant, Dr. Aser Javier who gave a lecture on “Identifying Challenges in Basic Education Grouping for Plan of Action”, the participants affirmed, “people are believed to achieve better when working together than when working against each other.”
In his discussion, Dr. Javier underscored the need to invest only in breakthrough initiatives like organizingacademic, or learning interventions as an academic institution.
For him, academics must be engaged in collaborations with public and private entities to provide conditions for innovations.
He added partnerships must explore initiatives that are beneficial to both academe and government for instance, while benefitting the society in a more sustainable and larger scale.
In Ilocos Norte, Ms. Eda acknowledged support for internet connectivity is a vital component to teacher and student learners hence the need to acquire internet towers to reach out even to far-flung schools in the province.
Strengthening internet connectivity among Ilocos Norte schools is a major flagship program of the INSDO which is why there is an on-going fund-raising drive, dubbed as “Christmas Tree para sa ICT” to generate more funds for the installation of the said towers.
For his part, Weenter Ventura, the Ilocos Norte Youth Development Office (INYDO) executive director said it is challenge for everyone to find a common ground of cooperation but by fostering greater cooperation among concerned education stakeholders, this initiative can be attained.
“We have programs integrating ICT and games. Perhaps, we can match this to the learning habit of Ilocano learners and work on it to advance their interest,” said Mr. Ventura.
“This is the way to do it. We need this convergence initiative to understand each other and push for innovative solutions addressing problems of learners,” said Dodie Gaces, President of the Ilocos Norte Federation of Parents-Teachers Association.
Mr. Gaces said he believes in the INSDO’s effort to introduce education reform hence the INFPTA came up a unified institution and bylaws addressing various problems in schools.