PHOTO CAPTION: (L-R) Mr. Diosdado M. San Antonio, Undersecretary for Curriculum and Instruction, Department of Education; Ms. Doris Ferrer, Executive Director of Private Education Assistance Committee (PEAC); Judge Benjamin D. Turgano, President of the Association of Christian Schools, Colleges, and Universities (ACSCU); Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Commissioner Dr. Aldrin Darilag, CHRP, RMT, RN and wife; Dr. Fe Juarez, Executive Vice President of Capitol University; Ms. Jeanne Fontelera, Chief Marketing Officer of Rex Education; Dr. Ester B. Ogena, Former President of Philippine National University, and Founding Chair and President of ASEAN Teacher Network; Mr. Don Timothy Buhain, Chief Executive Officer of Rex Education; and Rev. Fr. Roberto Exequiel Rivera, SJ, President of Ateneo de Naga University
This coming school year, 14 young and promising students will be pursuing teacher education and taking up the challenge to rekindle our aspiration of bettering lives through education.
Rex Education and the Private Education Assistance Committee (PEAC) are sending 14 scholars to Centers of Excellence by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) under the PEAC–REX Edukampyon Iskolar Para Sa Kinabukasan Scholarship Program, an initiative that hopes to strengthen the quality of teachers in the country by seeking out and encouraging students to take teacher education programs in Mathematics and Sciences.
“Teaching is such a noble career—it is the profession that creates all other professions. But in reality, with a lot of career options to choose from, Education is not always the top-of-mind choice of students. Great teachers inspire great students. This is why we want to encourage the best and the brightest to work with us, commit to the profession, and start creating a ripple effect as we enhance teachers’ quality today,” said Don Timothy Buhain, chief executive officer of Rex Education.
Teachers are some of the most impactful champions of education—Edukampyons—since they are the closest to the students and can directly impact their education. The scholarship program, launched in October 2021, rings true to REX’s Edukampyon advocacy that aims to champion, strengthen, and advance teacher education.
The students who will receive scholarship grants and pursue their specialization in the Sciences from Ateneo De Naga are the following: Lellian Joy L. Alegre, Leschell Mae L. Llagas, Jyla Mir P. Dangca, April Mariella B. Nieves, Maia Niña T. Enimedez, Sheila May B. Ceguerra, Denise Angela P. Rebueno, Kazzandra Jhean R. Alvarez, and Ma. Bernadette Jane S. Aguay.
The students who will pursue their specialization in Mathematics from Ateneo De Naga are Florence M. Pangilinan and Jassi Mary E. Sayson.
Three students will also pursue specializations in Mathematics at Capitol University: Jenika Rosandra S. Diaz, James Elvin A. Ipulan, and Maria Ruth Precious O. Lindawan.
REX and PEAC hope that this batch of scholars under the PEAC–REX Edukampyon Iskolar Para Sa Kinabukasan will be the first of many, so that more students, Centers of Excellence, and other education champions contribute to the highest quality of teaching in the country.
“We want to champion teacher education. We want to make teaching an attractive proposition for our young. And at the same time, ensure that the program will have a very strong values formation program, so that our scholars will have a very strong sense of social responsibility and contribute to nation-building,” said Doris Ferrer, Executive Director of PEAC.
An effort to address the challenges faced by the education sector
The PEAC–REX Edukampyon Iskolar Para Sa Kinabukasan is one of the many efforts and collaborations REX enters into to help address the challenges faced by Philippine education.
“We all agree that the quality of teachers facilitating learning has to do a lot in making sure that the quality of education itself is also improved. So any intervention that is designed to provide the Department of Education (DepEd) with better inputs in terms of teachers will truly be a welcome contribution,” said Diosdado M. San Antonio, DepEd Undersecretary for Curriculum and Instruction.
International competitiveness reports and activities participated in by the Philippines in 2018–2019 suggest a big gap in quality that should compel critical attention from the government and the education sector.
In a study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) in 2018, 81% of the 15-year-old Filipino students who were surveyed scored below minimum proficiency levels in reading, mathematics, and science compared to most countries that participated. Grade 4 students obtained the lowest scores in mathematics and science among the 58 countries surveyed by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement’s (IEA’s) Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) in 2019.
While limited resources and a challenging learning environment are realities many Filipino learners have to deal with on a daily basis, there is much to improve in terms of uplifting the quality of education that students receive. Quality teachers who nurture students at the basic education level can therefore have a ripple effect in improving Philippine education.
“Improving teacher quality in schools will mean attracting and selecting the best candidates into the teaching profession. To strengthen teacher quality, [we] should begin from selecting the right people into the profession. Policies in teacher recruitment and hiring should be aimed at increasing the attractiveness of the career, such as incentivizing high achievers to pursue teacher training and eventually enter into the profession,” read the World Bank Philippines Report 2021.
“This small act that we are doing at present, can have a great impact in all our futures. Invest in our teachers to-be today, so we can enjoy a bright and progressive tomorrow,” said Buhain.
Follow the Rex Education Facebook Page for updates about the PEAC–REX Edukampyon Iskolar Para Sa Kinabukasan scholarship program. For more information about Edukampyon, visit www.rex.com.ph/#/edukampyon.
