Education Secretary Sonny Angara expressed optimism on Friday, Aug. 2, that utilizing technology would help the Department of Education (DepEd) achieve improved education outcomes among Filipino learners.
Angara led the ceremonial Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signing between DepEd and Khan Academy Philippines Incorporated (Khan PH) at the Bulwagan ng Karunungan, DepEd Complex in Pasig City.
The partnership aims to enhance education outcomes in the Philippines by introducing innovative technologies.
In a briefing, Angara said the tools offered by Khan PH would “definitely” help improve education outcomes as the country prepares to participate in international large-scale assessments such as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).
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https://mb.com.ph/2023/12/5/pisa-2022-no-significant-improvements-seen-in-ph-students-performance
“Kapag may ganito, malalaktawan yung mga kakulangan sa classroom (When there’s something like this, the shortage in the classroom can be bridged),” Angara said, noting that utilizing available resources such as technology can help provide solutions to existing gaps in education.
Meanwhile, Khan Academy PH President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Geraldine Acuña-Sunshine underscored the importance of strengthening the foundational skills of Filipino learners, especially in math, science, reading, and critical thinking.
“To do well in a test like PISA, you need to be solid in those foundational skills,” Acuña-Sunshine said. “We need to strengthen the pipeline, not wait until you're 14 years old and then practice for PISA,” she added.
The MOA was designed to prepare Filipino learners to become “globally competent members of the workforce.”
Khan PH pilot program
Khan Academy PH, a non-profit educational organization, provides online tools to educate students.
Among the goals of the pilot program is to “Filipinize” Khan Academy course content by aligning it with the DepEd official curriculum.
“There are different learning styles… so the whole point behind ‘Filipinizing’ the platform is that it has to be appropriate for the Filipino learner,” Acuña-Sunshine said.
The Office of the Undersecretary of Curriculum and Teaching (OUCT) will be the focal point to ensure that the DepEd official curriculum aligns with Khan PH’s content.
The program aims to build foundational skills in learners, including literacy and numeracy, and strengthen reading, science, and mathematics programs through improved learning materials.
The program also aims to support teachers and learners regarding digital education and remote learning.
To be included in the pilot program, schools should have a high-speed internet connection, an adequate number of devices, and “enthusiastic” school administrators and teachers.
While the partnership has great potential, DepEd noted that finalizing the alignment of learning materials, particularly for Grade 10 MATATAG Curriculum math lessons, needs to be addressed.
DepEd should also assess the readiness of schools for the implementation of the Khan PH Pilot Program, especially regarding the limitations of the DepEd Learning Management System (LMS) in accommodating a large volume of learners using the platform in real-time.
Recognizing that not all schools are equipped for the program, Angara said that “strategic deployment" of resources is crucial.
“Maybe rather than operate on the assumption of one student, one computer, maybe just work with one classroom and one teacher, then improve your ratios as you go along,” he said. “Ang importante, we have a good spread across the country dun sa makikinabang dito (to those who will benefit from this),” he added.
While technology is important to enhance education outcomes, Acuña-Sunshine stressed that this should not be viewed as the sole solution.
“Learners learn in different ways, so there might be some who need face-to-face interaction and can't rely on technology,” she said. “Let's utilize this to the best of our ability and maximize its usage, but remember, this is not the only tool… we need to support other initiatives in learning as well,” she added.
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