To help improve the quality of teaching in the country, an advocacy group urged the Department of Education (DepEd) to “reinforce” the provision of comprehensive training and well-developed instructional materials to truly support teachers.

“Empowering teachers to master their subject matter not only demands an upskilling in pedagogical approaches but they must also be provided with the right resource materials,” said Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) Deputy Executive Director for Programs Hanibal Camua said in a statement.

“As we adapt to changes in the educational landscape, it's essential to invest in both professional development and access to quality teaching resources,” he added.

Citing the World Bank report “Fixing the Foundation: Teachers and Basic Education in East Asia and Pacific,” PBEd noted that the “lack of subject mastery and ineffective teaching practices have contributed to the country's high learning poverty rate.”

Vital role of teachers

“We want to highlight the vital role of our teachers in raising civic awareness and engagement by providing them with the necessary resources and expertise in teaching civic education,” Camua said.

Through its civic education project Sibika.ph, PBEd has partnered with the DepEd Region VI to conduct capacity-building workshops among 100 teachers to beef up their training on civic engagement and help students grasp the significance of civic education to personal and societal development.

Camua noted that empowering teachers will also help ensure that the “next generation are well-prepared to embrace democratic values and are actively engaged in nation-building.”

Sibika.ph has developed 17 DepEd-certified learning modules for the Understanding Culture, Society, and Politics subject in senior high school, complemented by videos and assessment tools.

Under the partnership with DepEd Region VI, these materials will be distributed in different school divisions offices within the Western Visayas region, upon completion of the learning experience design training with teachers.

Moreover, Sibika.ph resources make learning relevant to the current issues by encouraging class discussions on contemporary issues and events.

Through student-led exercises that are integrated into learning modules, learners are encouraged to actively engage with the material and think critically about democratic principles.

“With the learning crisis and threats posed by false narratives, it is imperative that we provide our youth with skilled teachers and well-developed educational materials to help them make informed decisions and foster critical thinking,” Camua added.

Sibika.ph is an online resource portal that provides supplemental reference materials for teachers and senior high school students on civic education.

This website aims to promote awareness among the youth about citizenship, democracy, and Filipino values.

The project is implemented by PBEd in partnership with YouthLed, a five-year program of The Asia Foundation and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) that aims to increase civic engagement leading to strengthened participation in Democratic Governance.