Invest in professional dev't to improve education quality, Lapus tells school heads

MANILA, Philippines - Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said school heads and superintendents need to redefine transformation and reassess how to improve competencies to be more professionally competent and to fully transform the Department of Education (DepEd).

Lapus called on school heads and superintendents to keep on investing in their professional and personal development to be better equipped in improving the quality of the country’s public school system. 

As the educational issues become more complex, he said “old” competencies in addressing new and varied challenges” are not enough.

“We cannot rely anymore on traditional ways of confronting these issues to significantly affect participation, completion, achievement and the total education landscape,” Lapus said in his address before the Philippine Elementary School Principals Association (PESPA)-Region III Chapter during its 1st Regional Principal Development Program in Malolos, Bulacan.

He stressed that it is important for the school heads to invest first in their professional growth so that consequently, they can develop their schools.

 “If the elementary schools are your basic responsibilities, these are also your basic accountabilities,” he added. 

He challenged the PESPA to develop competencies as transformational leaders and rally support from other stakeholders.

“Influence, inspire and engage stakeholders to co-own our educational issues,” he said. 

Meanwhile, Lapus encouraged superintendents to be, “strategists and visionaries who can provide the momentum to sustain education reform agenda.”

He emphasized this during the recent national convention of the Philippine Association of Schools Superintendents (PASS) held in Nasugbu, Batangas recently.

“As leaders at DepEd, we develop and empower people. We have the will and the resolve to institutionalize reforms. Our job description says that we don’t just plan, we should actualize our plans,” Lapus said. 

The Asian Institute of Management (AIM) has been contracted to offer the Management Development Program for superintendents and Basic Business Development Program for principals.