DepEd focuses attention on 'Last Mile Schools'
Published Jul 18, 2019 04:29 pm
By Merlinda Hernando-Malipot
The Department of Education (DepEd) on Thursday said that it will focus on strengthening about 8,000 “last mile” schools for geographically isolated and disadvantaged and conflict-affected (GIDCA) areas in the remaining years of the Duterte administration.
Education Secretary Leonor Briones (DepEd / MANILA BULLETIN)
In a press conference, DepEd officially announced its “Last Mile Schools” program which aims to “reach out and close the gap” between schools in GIDCA areas to their counterparts in urban centers. In particular, DepEd has developed the program to provide learners in those areas with “unhampered and equal access to quality basic education.”
“We made an inventory and we will do our best that within this year, we will reach these schools which are left behind in terms of facilities and infrastructure,” Education Secretary Leonor Briones explained.
The DepEd will roll out the development of the “last mile” schools in the next two years.
DepEd Undersecretary for Administration Alain Del Pascua explained that under the program, initiatives and plans on the last mile schools will be consolidated under one comprehensive program of implementation.
Pascua said that there are 7,144 schools that have been identified as “last mile” schools of those that have “not met the met the allocation criteria for various education inputs.”
Undersecretary for Finance Service and Education Programs Delivery Unit Annalyn Sevilla also explained that DepEd is ready to recommend the appropriate budgetary requirement to support the operation of these schools.
Initially, she noted that some P46.24 billion has been proposed for the introduction of the program in 2020 as a separate item. It will be called the "Last Mile Schools Fund."
“Last mile schools,” as defined to DepEd, are those that “that have not met the allocation criteria for various education inputs.” DepEd has issued a list of indicators to identify is a school is among those included in the category.
DepEd said that a school is considered as a “last mile” school if it has less than four classrooms; those with makeshift or nonstandard rooms; schools without electricity; those that have not been allocated funds for repairs or new construction projects in the last four years; and those with travel distance of more than one hour from the town center, or with difficulty of terrain.
Also considered as “last mile schools” by DepEd are those that hold multi-grade classes or rooms; those with less than five teachers; schools with student population of less than 100 learners and those with more than 75% Indigenous People (IP) learners.
Education Secretary Leonor Briones (DepEd / MANILA BULLETIN)
In a press conference, DepEd officially announced its “Last Mile Schools” program which aims to “reach out and close the gap” between schools in GIDCA areas to their counterparts in urban centers. In particular, DepEd has developed the program to provide learners in those areas with “unhampered and equal access to quality basic education.”
“We made an inventory and we will do our best that within this year, we will reach these schools which are left behind in terms of facilities and infrastructure,” Education Secretary Leonor Briones explained.
The DepEd will roll out the development of the “last mile” schools in the next two years.
DepEd Undersecretary for Administration Alain Del Pascua explained that under the program, initiatives and plans on the last mile schools will be consolidated under one comprehensive program of implementation.
Pascua said that there are 7,144 schools that have been identified as “last mile” schools of those that have “not met the met the allocation criteria for various education inputs.”
Undersecretary for Finance Service and Education Programs Delivery Unit Annalyn Sevilla also explained that DepEd is ready to recommend the appropriate budgetary requirement to support the operation of these schools.
Initially, she noted that some P46.24 billion has been proposed for the introduction of the program in 2020 as a separate item. It will be called the "Last Mile Schools Fund."
“Last mile schools,” as defined to DepEd, are those that “that have not met the allocation criteria for various education inputs.” DepEd has issued a list of indicators to identify is a school is among those included in the category.
DepEd said that a school is considered as a “last mile” school if it has less than four classrooms; those with makeshift or nonstandard rooms; schools without electricity; those that have not been allocated funds for repairs or new construction projects in the last four years; and those with travel distance of more than one hour from the town center, or with difficulty of terrain.
Also considered as “last mile schools” by DepEd are those that hold multi-grade classes or rooms; those with less than five teachers; schools with student population of less than 100 learners and those with more than 75% Indigenous People (IP) learners.