By Dominic Dela Cruz
Staff reporter
Batac City—Education officials in this city are scheduled to undergo their first international benchmarking activity in Singapore from October 6-9, 2016.
The delegation, numbering 30, includes education superintendent Vilma Eda along with education program supervisors, principals, school heads and teachers.
Ms. Eda explained that the benchmarking is annual requisite for all education division offices in the country. She added that the said activity will determine their priorities and flagship programs.
She said that since their first three benchmarking activity were held local, they decided to hold their fourth in Singapore. She pointed out that Singapore was chosen as it has one of the highest academic standards in the world. She further said that Singapore also uses information and communication technology (ICT) in their educational system.
In addition, Ms. Eda said the benchmarking aims to gain relevant strategies in the operation and systems of curriculum implementation on ICT integration; attain exposure and understanding on school-based management practices of schools; examine programs and projects that can be linked to the improvement of education system; and establishment of partnership and linkages with international organizations.
The Batac education chief also disclosed that they coordinated with Singapore’s Ministry of Education and the Infocomm Development Authority.
Participants will shoulder all expenses, except for bus fares to Manila and back, which was sponsored by the Batac government.
Ms. Eda also assured that classes will not be disturbed during the activity; only selected supervisors, principals and school heads were choses. Those who were not chosen for this year will have their opportunity in the next benchmarking activity.
Earlier benchmarking activities paved the way for the formulation and implementation of various programs and projects here.
The newly launched organic gardening and Farming in all the elementary and secondary schools came from the benchmarking conducted in Bayawan City, Negros Occidental.
Public School’s District Supervisor Rogelio Asiao reported that of the 30 schools in Batac, 24 of them have already established their own vermibeds, 20 of them have composting beds and 26 have their own nurseries.
The elementary schools in Baay and Camandingan started selling fruits and fresh vegetables from their “Gulayan Sa Paaralan” and proceeds were used for feeding program and maintenance of their school garden.
Moreover, the continuous programs on ICT integration, innovation and localization are likewise product of the study visit.
As a result, schools’ divisions of Bayawan City, Cotabato City, Mountain province, Ilocos Norte and even Laoag City visited the division of Batac to observe the on-going online and offline strategies on the utilization of ICT in the classroom instruction.
