Temasek funds capacity training program of education officials, teachers

MANILA, Philippines - Singapore’s Temasek Foundation has forked out P43 million to fund the expansion of a pilot-tested program with the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) to develop the management skills of division officials and school principals, and improve the teaching skills of public school teachers.

With the Temasek grant, ADMU, in coordination with House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., will expand the Leaders and Educators in Asia Programme (LEAP) initiated in 2008 wherein principals and teachers from 10 public elementary and high schools in Quezon City were given capacity building training by the Ateneo’s Center for Educational Development (ACED) and Singapore’s prestigious National Institute of Education.

The ADMU, Temasek and DepEd have launched the other day the Policy, Governance and Capacity Building Programme for Philippine Leaders and Educators (PGCB) wherein LEAP’s original 10 Quezon City public schools are to be expanded into 400 schools throughout the country.

The launch ceremonies was held at the ADMU-Loyola campus along Katipunan, at the Ricardo and Dr. Rosita Leong Hall Auditorium. Temasek Foundation’s chief executive officer Benedict Cheong, and Speaker Belmonte were guests of honor.

Under the PGCB, 624 senior-level education officials and “master teachers” and 5,400 Math, English and Science teachers from 400 schools in QC, Valenzuela City, Paranaque City, Gerona Tarlac, San Jose City; Jaen, San Isidro and Cabiao in Nueva Ecija; Valencia and Dauin in Negros Oriental; Tongonan-Kanangga, Leyte; Ormoc; and Bacnotan, La Union are to be given the capacity building training.

Benedict Cheong, Temasek Foundation chief executive officer, said that the decision to extend their support for the LEAP’s expansion into the bigger PGCB program was the success of the LEAP, as seen from the impact of the program on the improved proficiency of students in the covered QC schools.