(Photo by RAUL ARBOLEDA / STAFF / AFP / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
In the conduct of the 2021 National Autism Conference which is also in line with the celebration of the 25th National Autism Consciousness Week, DepEd has partnered with the NORFIL Foundation, Inc. and Autism Society Philippines to further promote a sense of belonging and empowerment for children with special needs, such as those with autism.
DepEd said that it recognizes the important role of all sectors of society in achieving its goals for the inclusion of learners with autism. “By working together with our stakeholders, listening to their experiences, and finding ways within the system to create opportunities for meaningful collaboration, we can bring better services to our learners with autism,” Education Secretary Leonor Briones said.
SunStar City Savings Bank aids schools
SCHOOL AID. The employees of City Savings Bank deliver relief goods to the Schools Division Office in Tabaco City, Albay on Dec. 3, 2020. Albay was one of the provinces in Luzon battered by a series of typhoons that hit the country in the latter part of 2020. / CONTRIBUTED
+ THE Covid-19 pandemic made 2020 a challenging year and the education sector was not spared.
The global health crisis affected teachers, students and parents. In the Philippines, distance learning has been imposed by the government since October to protect students and teaching staff from contracting the novel coronavirus, which was first detected in Wuhan, China.
January 13, 2021 THE Department of Education (DepEd) signed on Wednesday, January 13, 2021, a memorandum of agreement with Nestle Philippines for the development of P120 million worth of online learning modules and educational kits on health and wellness.
DepEd Undersecretary Diosdado San Antonio said both learners and teachers are “highly encouraged” to use the modules and educational kits that Nestle Philippines will provide.
“We believe these modules can help deepen understanding relative to the value of physical health and nutrition,” San Antonio said during the virtual press conference following the signing ceremony.
The modules will be uploaded on DepEd Commons, an online platform that provides access to learning materials and resources.
To ensure the quality of self-learning modules (SLMs) being used in the modular distance learning modality, the Department of Education (DepEd) issued guidelines on the evaluation of SLMs, particularly those that will be used by students in the coming grading periods.
The implementation of distance learning on a massive scale is a first for DepEd. DepEd data as of Nov. 11 showed that there are 25.05 million students enrolled in combined public and private schools, and inclusive of non-formal education (Alternative Learning System or ALS).
The reduction in enrollment was mainly in private schools, where enrollment reached only 51.7% (2,226,292) of last year’s enrollment.
Enrollment in public schools for formal education increased by 2.4% .
Distance learning is considered a major component of learning delivery for this school year. This involved developing new learning resources, including printed and digital modules, online learning where available, and supplemented by television and radio-based instruction.