DepEd fast-tracks kinder teachers' pay

The Department of Education (DepEd) Saturday vowed to fast-track the processing of the payment of teachers’ salaries after an advocacy group revealed that hundreds of kindergarten teachers have not been paid since the school year opened.

Education Secretary Armin Luistro said in a statement that DepEd is hoping to receive June to October payments next month. “We wish to assure our kindergarten teachers that we are fast-tracking the processing of the payment of their salaries,” he said.

Luistro said that while the department is completing enrollment data from the field needed for the release of funds, “we received news from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) that we will be able to process downloading of funds based on initial projections.”

He asked the help of the kindergarten volunteer teachers and the teacher organizations for the immediate submission of the actual enrollment data.

The Teachers' Dignity Coalition (TDC), a 30,000-strong group, on Friday said almost all the teachers under the DepEd’s Universal Kindergarten Program (UKP) have not been paid since June. “Still, some teachers who served in the summer kinder program have yet to receive their compensation,” said TDC spokesperson Emmalyn Policarpio.

Policarpio, a teacher in Valenzuela City, said that this is how the DepEd implements Enhanced K to 12 Basic Education Program of the Aquino administration. “The honorarium amounting to R3,000 is always delayed,” she said.

The UKP is the first phase of the implementation of the K to 12 program which is expected to be rolled out to Grade 1 and First Year high school students by next school year. This year, DepEd accepted almost two million kindergarten students in more than 50,000 public schools despite the perennial shortages in classrooms, teachers, school facilities and textbooks.

By INA HERNANDO-MALIPOT
Manila Bulletin

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DepEd sets exam for out-of-school youth in November

The Department of Education through the National Education Testing and Research Center announces that the Philippine Educational Placement Test (PEPT) will be held on November 20, 2011 for Luzon and on November 27, 2011 for Visayas and Mindanao.

Education Secretary Armin Luistro said the PEPT aims to retrieve out-of-school youth and place them in the formal school system if they so desire. “ Through PEPT, we would also like to  validate and accredit knowledge and skills in academic areas gained through informal and non-formal means. In the end, PEPT will pave the way for their  re-entry into formal schooling, job promotion, job training and  employment,” added Luistro.

PEPT targets Filipino citizens who are dropouts from  elementary and secondary schools for at least one  year. It is also for those  who never attended a formal school but can read and write, or those  presently employed but  need to  upgrade their academic level whether  elementary or high school. Moreover, applicants must be at least one year overage for their supposed grade/year level in the formal school system.

Applicants must bring their birth certificate  issued by the NSO or Local Civil Registrar duly authenticated (original and 2 photo-copies),  2 pieces ID picture  and recently taken (size 1”x1”) and school  record  --  original and 2 photocopies  -- of  Form 137 (Transcript of Records with school seal and signature of principal/registrar)  or Form 138 (Report Card with school seal and signature of principal/registrar) for elementary level and  Form 137 for secondary.

PEPT takers will pay P50 for the regular test given every November in designated testing centers all over the country  or P200 for walk-in or special administration which is conducted from January to June at DepEd- NETRC in Pasig City.

For elementary level, the test coverage is Science, Mathematics, HeKaSi (Heograpiya, Kasaysayan at Sibika), Filipino and English. In the secondary level, the exam for first year covers General Science, Elementary Algebra, Philippine History (Kasaysayan at Pamahalaan ng Pilipinas), English I and Filipino I; for second year, the coverage include Biology, Intermediate Algebra, Asian History (Kasaysayan ng mga Bansang Asyano), English II and Filipino II; for third year, the subjects  covered are Chemistry, Geometry, World History (Kasaysayan ng Daigdig), English III and Filipino III; for fourth year, the exam will touch on  Physics, Advance Algebra, Trigo-nometry, Statistics, Economics, English IV and Filipino IV.

The PEPT can also be administered to individuals with visual impairment whether Braille or non-Braille readers.

deped.gov.ph

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STEP-SDC Contest Package for 2011-2012

 Reference for the criteria of judging, contest procedures, specific instructions and resources required in each competition.

Click here to download the the contest package.

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