To strategically evaluate and integrate trends and advancements in learning and teaching processes in anticipation of more challenging issues in education, the Department of Education (DepEd) has started setting up its Education Futures Unit or "Educ Futures".
“Ang ating responsibilidad ay paghanda ng ating kabataan para sa kanilang kinabukasan o ‘yung tinatawag nating the ‘world of worth’ - the world of further education. Kailangang magiging maingat tayo at titignan na natin kung anong mangyayari. Ano ba ang future ng education?” (Our responsibility is to prepare our youth for their future or what we call the ‘world of worth’ - the world of further education. We have to be careful and see what happens - what is the future of education?)” Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones said in a statement issued Saturday, April 17.
The Educ Futures unit aims to seek answers to numerous challenges facing education, and craft policies based on research, global trends, and best practices.
Meanwhile, Undersecretary for Curriculum and Instruction Diosdado San Antonio further explained that the goal of the unit is to explore scenarios in education and anticipates how things would be beyond administrative terms.
“We believe that anybody, any well-meaningful educator has to be mindful of the future of education and this requires all of us to heavily exercise strategic foresight” San Antonio said.
With a vision for every learner to be independent, work-ready, and a self-fulfilled proactive citizen, DepEd said that the Educ Futures will “receive guidance and aid” from concerned committees in the Senate and the House of Representatives, universities and higher learning institutions, and international networks.
“Education technology has offered us a lot of opportunities that young children will be very excited about,” San Antonio said. “It makes them more curious about things and it enables them to explore the world on their own,” he added.