21 million troop back to school

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Education (DepEd) is ready to welcome back more than 21 million students as classes in public schools open today for academic year 2012-2013.

Education Secretary Armin Luistro said more than 45,000 public kindergartens, elementary and high schools are well prepared for the opening of classes after DepEd undertook two primary programs – the National Schools Maintenance Week or Brigada Eskwela Week, and the multi-sectoral, multi-agency Oplan Balik Eskwela campaign – last month.

The Philippine National Police (PNP), on the other hand, assured the public that it has prepared all the needed precautionary measures to ensure the smooth and sound opening of classes.

“I’ve done a few rounds the past two weeks and despite many continuing challenges, I’ve seen that our principals and teachers have gone out of their way to make this school year one of the most prepared openings for DepEd,” Luistro said.

He said that the private sector, particularly private corporations and even small companies, had stepped up with their own efforts to help schools in their communities prepare during the Brigada Eskwela week last May 21 to May 26 and even after.

“I wish to thank all of them including our partners in Brigada Eskwela for their patience, generosity and commitment to education,” Luistro said.

He said DepEd has already addressed the shortage of textbooks and school desks this school year and is ready to introduce the enhanced curriculum under the K (Kindergarten)+12 basic education curriculum (BEC) program, particularly the new and improved curriculum for Grade 1 and Grade 7, previously the first year high school level.

The ambitious K+12 BEC overhauls the current 10-year BEC with six years of elementary and four years of high school, with a mandatory kindergarten level before entry to Grade 1.

After this, a student will undergo a Grade 1 to Grade 10 education path. At the end of Grade 10, one is to go to an additional two-year senior high school level before graduating from high school and pursuing college studies.

Luistro said that the training of more than 140,000 elementary and high school teachers who will teach the Grade 1 and Grade 7 levels this school year had been completed last summer.

He said that DepEd will also push teachers and school heads to monitor the development of each student as best as possible.

To make this possible, he said all students in public schools will now have a Learner Reference Number (LRN) for easy tracking of a student’s development by the teacher.

Police visibility

PNP chief Director General Nicanor Bartolome said the PNP will deploy policemen near schools, colleges and universities to ensure the safety of students, parents and even faculty members.

He reminded all police units nationwide to strictly implement Balik Eskwela 2012, designed to ensure the safety of students going back to school today.

“Chief PNP Bartolome will hold concerned commanders accountable for any security lapse stemming from their failure to supervise Balik Eskwela 2012 properly,” said PNP spokesman Senior Superintendent Generoso Cerbo Jr., adding that police regional offices (PROs) will be required to submit periodic updates.

Cerbo said Bartolome has ordered all PNP commanders at all levels to personally supervise the strict implementation of Balik Eskwela 2012 and enhance police visibility to deter street crime. He added that the PNP will set up of police assistance desks in selected areas.

Bartolome likewise advised PNP personnel to maintain close coordination with DepEd, traffic management offices like Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), local government units (LGUs) and other concerned offices.

MMDA: Smooth traffic today

The MMDA said it will ensure a smooth traffic flow all over the metro today.

In its weekly radio program, the agency said traffic aides will be manning the streets as early as 5 a.m. and that removing ambulant vendors from sidewalks started last week.

“Roads get clogged during school opening and it is the MMDA’s obligation to ensure a smooth flow for the opening of classes,” said MMDA assistant general manager for planning Emerson Carlos over radio dzBB.

He added that traffic aides will be deployed near school premises. MMDA is among eight agencies tapped by DepEd for the June 4 opening.

The agency also reminded the public that its renewed drive against jaywalkers will start today.

For its initial implementation of the campaign, the MMDA will only reprimand people who will cross streets that are not marked as pedestrian crossings or those who will not use footbridges.

By Tuesday, Carlos said jaywalkers will be fined P200. For those who cannot pay, they will be required to attend a 15 to 20-minute lecture on disaster preparedness.

Senior citizens and minors (17 and below) caught jaywalking will be reprimanded.

Carlos explained that they cannot hold teenagers liable, if ever, because of the Juvenile Justice Law that removed criminal liability of minors.

MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino said the agency is monitoring surveillance cameras to ensure that violators cannot deny the charges.

Tolentino said the agency has repainted and created new pedestrian lanes along the schools immediate vicinity. Thermoplastic materials were used because these do not fade easily and they reflect during nighttime, he said. - Cecille Suerte Felipe, Non Alquitran, Aie Balagtas See, Alexis Romero