Spanish official turns over five new elementary-school buildings to DepEd

FIVE new elementary-school buildings, constructed through assistance from Spanish government under its Improvement of the Quality of Primary Education (IQPE) program, were turned over by Spanish embassy official Miguel Angel Barba to Education Secretary Jesli Lapus in Carmen, Agusan del Norte.

Lapus said the new structures, which can withstand severe weather conditions, are the culmination of the second part of the bilateral agreement that aims to help improve access to quality education in the Bicol region and Caraga.

Under the program, five elementary schools in Caraga were constructed. Cahayagan is one recipient, and four other schools in Surigao del Norte, Dinagat Islands and Siargao now have new classrooms.

Lapus emphasized the school buildings were constructed using the Principal-Led School Building Program.

“This project highlights the DepEd’s commitment to School-Based Management [SBM], which empowers school heads in decision-making and in efficiently managing schools,” Lapus added.

Through decentralized construction management, principal empowerment and active participation of the community, the recipient schools do not only have new classrooms, they also gain valuable experience in decentralization and SBM. Lapus said under the IQPE, initiatives to improve reading proficiency, school planning and operational efficiency are also addressed.

Through partnership with the Spanish government, selected schools and divisions in Bicol and Caraga have received beginning reading materials, reading standards and assessment tools, SBM grants worth P50,000 and training programs on Every Child a Reader Program and School Improvement Plan preparation, implementation and monitoring.

With the new classrooms, together with the learning tools, improved teaching strategies and strengthened management capabilities, students in the Caraga region are expected to improve in their academic performance. (Business Mirror)

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