Module 2 The Culture of Schooling
Unit 2 Education Laws and Policies: Educational Topic
Activity 1 Influence of National and International Organizations
Philippine Organizations
DigiBayanihan
Digibayanihan is a combination of two important words: digi- short for “digital” and the Tagalog word -bayanihan loosely meaning “cooperative community”. It is an organization that promotes digital literacy and citizenship (see blog post: Educational Topic) in the Philippines. It is imperative that the residents of this digitized world have the skills to use computers and mobile devices to their advantage.
GOV.PH: The K-12 Basic Education Program
www.gov.ph/k-12/
Researching for this assignment made me aware of this program. This government organization developed a high standard curriculum to be implemented into schools to provide a 13-year basic educational career for students. I found the statistics on their contribution to the Philippine educational system to be an enormous effort through building classrooms, donating supplies, and creating specific tracks for high school students.
DepEd: Philippine Department of Education
An important article I stumbled upon was a press release titled DepEd, MARINA tie up to offer maritime program in SHS posted on March 8, 2016. The Philippines is blessed to be a versatile island nation with rich seas surrounding its borders. It’s seas and nearby oceans are incredible source of wealth, resources, and opportunities. I was thrilled to discover that the Department of Education (DepEd) signed an agreement with the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) to implement additional education and career opportunities for senior high school students. The creation of this curriculum would allow students a path into the national and international careers of seafaring. Additionally, I am impressed with their amassed Twitter following of over 2.39 million subscribers tuning in to see the latest developments in Filipino education.
Teach For The Philippines
Teach For the Philippines is a non-profit organization that places bright, young leaders and volunteers to teach in public schools. It first came to my attention when I noticed their fliers in many coffee shops around the metro. Their goal is to provide excellent education and work to end education inequality in the public school systems. TFTP also provides an annual report with their mission, goals, and statistics from their experience. I learned that volunteers of the TFTP program help the community through developing their alumni program whereby they mentor future leaders and pass on knowledge and experience to others.
Gawad Kalinga
I learned about Gawad Kalinga many years ago through my high school. I participated in week-long community outreach programs which include construction, distributing goods, and community activities for children. Gawad Kalinga aims to provide positive, long-term housing and community building ultimately to end poverty for this island nation as well as other Southeast Asian countries. What I found interesting was their development into a larger foundation from when I participated over ten years ago. GK has since branched out to the other Southeast Asian nations of Indonesia, Singapore, and Cambodia. Each country adopted the GK model and implemented the organization with goals to develop site specific projects built to the needs of that community or area within the country. This includes building infrastructure, housing, and generating resources.
International Organizations
UNESCO United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization
UNESCO—like many organizations—have their company imbedded into the public’s psyche by having immense resources, holistic policies, and history. One article that resonated with me was a report published titled Happy Schools: A Framework for Learner Well-being in the Asia-Pacific from UNESCO Bangkok. I found it engaging to read the research done regarding the quality of education and well-being for different countries in the Asia-Pacific region. It is valuable to determine calculable measurements of well-being and happiness, as those are fundamental values for all societies and the results from the research can be applied to other cultures.
UNICEF United Nations International Childrens Emergency Fund (now known as United Nations Childrens Fund)
I stumbled upon a press release Climate change and poor sanitation threaten water safety for millions: UNICEF and found myself feeling a bit at odds with this article. While I consider water safety and proper sanitation policies to be of utmost importance, I do feel that creating a social media “awareness” campaign to be lackluster when the issue is pressing. I have trouble considering the real impact of a social media campaign that falls short of allowing the general public to engage in the issue directly. An important facet to this issue is Unless We Act Now, an important agenda file, at the very bottom of the page that delineates a 10-step plan of action for governments, private sectors, and the public to engage in aiding this issue. I consider that if they promoted awareness and pushed for implementation of this agenda it would have more of a real impact than a fleeting social media campaign.
OECD & CERI Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development & Centre for Educational Research and Innovation
OECD is going to host an event on the 31st of March called the GLOBAL FORUM ON DEVELOPMENT 2016: From Commitment to Actual Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Policies, Data and Financing. This event aims to promote actual change and initiatives to develop SDGs. The potential effect of implementation from these policy changes could greatly affect education by creating equal opportunities, reduce educational inequalities, and provide the means to promote overall well-being for all people. Living in the Philippines, for me, is a daily reminder of the lack of proper sustainable development policy implementation that benefits this country’s over 100 million citizens.
GPE Global Partnership for Education
I started following the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) on their Twitter account @gpforeducation. I am impressed with the high level of activity and fascinating content on their news feeds. They often provide easy to read infographics as well as links and articles. One article was of particular interest to me is Why Children Should Help Run Their Schools, written by Vernor Muñoz, about the inclusion of children in the policy making and effecting change within in their schools. I agree that is entirely important that schools should take into consideration the comments and suggestions of their student body. Opinions and ideas of students is a direct reflection of the current state of their education whether personal or that of many. An empowered student council has the potential to allow the childrens needs to be heard, considered, and implemented. Encouraging student involvement in their own education can bring a direct impact their development and that of their peers.