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Eskwela - Project Brief - Shortened
Eskwela - Project Brief - Shortened
Studies show that an increasing number of school age Filipinos that are out of school. In
2003, the Department of Education estimated that there were a total of 5.18 million out-of-
school youth in the country. Of these, 1.84 million out-of-school children ages 6 to 11 years
old and 3.94 million young people ages 12 to 15. Some even claim that today there are as
many school age youth out of school as there are school age youth in schools.
This unfortunate condition is made even worse by the fact that the government agency that
can help these out of school youth get an education – the Bureau of Alternative Learning
Systems of the Department of Education – receives only 1% of the total education budget.
To respond to the needs of this underserved sector of society, the Human Capital
Development Group of the Commission on Information and Communications Technology
(CICT HCDG) is proposing to establish Community e-Centers that would be dedicated to
serve the learning needs of the out-of-school youth. These eLearning centers would be
called eSkwela – a play on the vernacular equivalent to “school”.
The eSkwela Project aims “to provide disadvantaged youth with useful educational
opportunities to help reduce the digital divide and enhance their capacity to be successful
participants in a global and knowledge-based economy.” 1 Under this proposed project,
eSkwela centers will be established in major centers in the country to conduct ICT-enhanced
alternative education programs for the out-of-school youth (OSY). The eSkwela Project has
the following objectives:
The eSkwela Project will use an ICT-enabled, inquiry-based, interdisciplinary, and thematic
approach to teaching and learning. Within a three-hour session, a blended type of learner-
centered instruction will be exercised where students will have one hour of computer-aided
learning via interactive elearning modules, one hour of teacher-led instruction (based on the
current needs of the learners), and one hour of collaborative group activities and projects.
Instructors, called mobile teachers, will be mainly facilitative in a student-paced learning
environment. They shall use performance-based assessment, in coordination with the
community, to monitor the progress of students.
The CICT-HCDG will partner with the Sandiwaan Center for Learning (SCL) - a Philippine
NGO devoted to eLearning, the Bureau of Alternative Learning Systems of the Department
of Education and the local governments and communities to make education interactive,
appealing, relevant, enriching, and readily available for Filipino out-of-school youth.
1
APEC Education Foundation Guidelines for Submitting Proposals.. 2005.
Introduction
WSIS Declaration of Principles: Building the Information Society: a global challenge in the
new Millennium recognized that an important challenge for the global community is to
harness the potential of information and communications technology (ICT) to promote the
development goals of the Millennium Declaration. WSIS also recognized that education,
knowledge, information, and communication are at the core of human progress, endeavor,
and well-being.
Likewise, 2005 APEC TELMIN’s Lima Declaration confirmed “the importance of life-long
human capacity development, for all age groups and genders, as well as for people with
disabilities or special needs, in terms of providing more opportunities for training and skill[s]
development; and improving the access, awareness, mastery, and application of ICT for the
benefit of people in the region.” 2
The Program of Action of APEC TEL to implement the Lima Declaration has identified the
following activities under the thematic area “Advancing the Information Society through
Human Capacity Building”:
The Medium Term Development Plan of the Philippines (MTPDP) 2004-2010, the National
Framework Plan for ICTs in Basic Education (2005-2010), and the 2002 Basic Education
Curriculum (BEC) advocate the use of information and communications technology (ICT) as
“a powerful enabler of capacity development…targeted towards specific development goals
like ensuring basic education for all and lifelong learning, among others.” Furthermore, the
MTPDP “provides for the wider use of computers to support teaching-learning processes,
the promotion of elearning and information literacy, and the establishment of elearning
competency centers.” 3
The Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) -- the primary the
primary policy, planning, coordinating, implementing, regulating, and administrative entity of
the executive branch of government – is implementing programs aimed to developed the
country’s information infrastructure, deliver more online government services to citizens,
foster the growth of ICT and ICT-enabled industries and develop capability and skills among
its citizens. The CICT Human Capital Development Group (CICT-HCDG) is dedicated to
developing ICT competencies in the country. Already, CICT-HCDG has initiated and
implemented projects geared towards capacity-building through the development of ICT
competency standards, the development of ICT skills in the bureaucracy, and the eQuality
2
Lima Declaration, The Sixth APEC Ministerial Meeting on the Telecommunications and Information
Industry (TELMIN6), 1-3 June, 2005 Lima, Peru.
http://www.apec.org/apec/ministerial_statements/sectoral_ministerial/telecommunications/2005.html
3
Medium Term Development Plan of the Philippines 2004-2010, NEDA, 2004, p. 2.
The proposed eSkwela Project intends to use ICTs in broadening access to basic education
by tapping into appropriate ICT-supported models to improve the quality of learning and
enhancing the quality of teaching in the non-formal education setting.
Project Rationale
A huge percentage of Filipino children and youth aged 6 to 17 years are not attending
school. The Department of Education estimated that, in 2003, there were a total of 5.18
million out-of-school youth (1.84 million out-of-school children ages 6 to 11 years old, and
3.94 million young people ages 12 to 15) in the country.4 Focusing on the secondary school
age range (13-17 years old), UNDP estimated that, in 2002-2003, the Philippines’ net
enrolment ratio at secondary level was at 59%.5 This means that roughly only six out of ten
young people who are officially of secondary school age actually get formal education. The
others are either working or idle. The Philippines’ enrolment ratio at secondary level pales in
comparison to other countries.
Table 1
Net Enrollment Ratio
The dropout rate for secondary public schools in the Philippines has also significantly
increased from 9% in SY 1998-1999 to 13.10% in SY 2002-2003. The completion rate for
the latter School Year was pegged at 59.79% -- meaning, only six out of ten students
actually graduate from secondary school. It is further estimated that only four out of ten
youths who enter elementary school get to finish high school. Every year, there are more
and more young people who should be attending schools but are not, due to various
reasons.
In the 2003 Functional Literacy, Education and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS), parents cite
the following reasons why their children do not attend schools: 6
• working or looking for work (mostly males) - 30% nationwide but significantly higher in
major urban areas, reaching 51.8% in NCR
• lack interest in going to school - 22%
• high cost of education - 20% (n.b. – basic education in the country is free)
4
Guerrero, C.S. / Bureau of Alternative Learning System. Alternative Learning System: The Other Side of
Basic Education. Presentation delivered by Guerrero, C.S., Director of the Department of Education’s
Bureau of Alternative Learning System. Metro Manila: Department of Education, 2004.
5
Defined as “the ratio of the number of children of official secondary school age enrolled in school to the
number of children of official secondary school age in the population”. Data on the Philippines from
UNDP Human Development Reports. http://cfapp2.undp.org/hdr/statistics/data/rc_report.cfm Accessed:
September 2005.
6
Results from the 2003 Functional Literacy, Education and Mass Media Survey.
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
It is also noteworthy that an estimated 42.3% or 2.19 million of those not in school are
completely “idle” (i.e., not working). The highest “idle” incidence is in the National Capital
Region at 51.8% of those not in schools. This represents 29% of the National Capital
Region’s total children-and-youth population!
These numbers have grave implications for the future of this country. Individuals who fail to
develop basic cognitive abilities that should be gained in schools tend to have deficiencies in
mental tasks such as analysis, judgment, problem-solving and decision-making. This
impairment makes them reliant on “group think” and “sound bytes”, hence, easily swayed by
“mob-mentality” and rumor-mongers. These large numbers of aimless youths are perfect
breeding grounds for groups seeking to create problems for society.
While the Department of Education seeks to bring these young people back to the formal
education system, studies show that the existing full-time education model being used by
traditional education systems does not work for these out-of-school youngsters.
Furthermore, the Department’s Bureau of Alternative Learning Systems (BALS) -- that can
provide non-formal education to the out-of-school youth -- gets less than 1% (0.068% in
2005) of the total education budget.7
The eSkwela Project seeks to attenuate this problem by providing educational opportunities
for young people who are not in school or have not completed their secondary school. The
novel approach taken by this project is the use of engaging learning experience though
eLearning with relevant and interactive computer-based multimedia learning materials.
Computer-based learning systems are now widely used in educational institutions around
the world. It has been shown to be the most effective tool to reach and engage those who
7
In terms of spending capabilities, education receives only 12% of the total national budget. UNESCO
reports that the Philippines only spends an estimated US$417 per student per year, compared to
US$5,890 in Japan, US$2,289 in Korea, US$1,117 in Thailand, and US$ 7,186 in the United States.
It has been found that when used appropriately, ICTs are powerful tools that can: 8
• improve motivation and engagement in the learning process;
• develop multiple intelligences through multimedia presentation of materials;
• facilitate comprehension of abstract concepts by making them more concrete;
• develop basic skills (reading, writing, arithmetic) by giving learners opportunities for
practice;
• promote inquiry and exploration through the use of interactive learning resources;
• enhance information literacy, critical thinking, problem-solving, and other higher order
thinking skills;
• facilitate collaborative and cooperative learning by providing tools for learners to
communicate and work with other learners; and
• develop lifelong learning skills, including learning how to learn.
Objectives
To effectively respond to observed problems and needs, the eSkwela Project has the
following objectives:
The eSkwela Project is envisioned to provide community-based eLearning Centers that will
cater to the alternative education requirements of disadvantaged youth in urban areas, re-
engaging them back into learning, for free.
Modeling after the Notschool.net of the United Kingdom, the current program will employ a
model that makes optimal use of ICTs in facilitating access to education for out-of-school
Filipino youth. With the use of relevant interactive elearning materials, blended and
collaborative modes of instruction, and performance-based assessment, the program seeks
to bridge the widening digital divide and social chasms between those who are educated and
those who are not. Consistent with AEF’s mission and purpose, the program aims to
enhance the capacities of these young people to empower them towards confidently
participating in a global and knowledge-based society.
Three tracks:
1. Accreditation and Equivalency Certification – equivalent to the High School diploma
2. Review/ Catch-up opportunity for those who wish to return to formal schooling (i.e. for
those who temporarily drop out to help out during the harvest season, due to illness,
etc.)
8
Haddad, W.D. and Jurich, S. ICTs for Education: Potential and Potency. In Haddad, W.D. and Draxler,
A. (Eds.) Technologies for Education: Potentials, Parameters, and Prospects. Paris/Washington:
UNESCO and the Academy fro Educational Development, 2002.
Possible venue, too, for the Digital Bridges Program, Distance Learning, and other
training initiatives (e.g. Teacher Training, COOP-ICT skills training), etc.
Program Components
The eSkwela Program has four major components, namely: infrastructure deployment,
curriculum review and materials development, training, and project monitoring and
evaluation.
Infrastructure Deployment
Each eSkwela center will be provided with computer access (20 computer units for students
and 1 unit for the instructor per center), relevant peripherals, and one-year broadband
Internet connectivity.
The centers will be housed in CICT’s Regional Offices in the areas enumerated to ensure
security and equipment maintenance. Please refer to Annex A for the list of equipment.
The BALS curriculum, improved under the BEC 2002, has at its core, the enhancement of
life skills and lifelong learning skills among its learners, with particular emphasis on the
following key areas: communication skills, critical thinking and problem solving, sustainable
use of resources/productivity, development of self and a sense of community, and expanding
one’s world vision.
Since 22% of the 2003 FLEMMS respondents cited lack of interest in going to school, the
eSkwela Project will make an effort in developing curriculum and materials that are
meaningful, relevant, and interesting. As such, the instructors under the alternative learning
system will be trained to use a pedagogical paradigm that encourages an inquiry-based,
interdisciplinary, and thematic approach to teaching and learning. Lessons and strategies
will be based on real life contexts and will focus on authentic learning to heighten interest
and relevance. For example, the theme for September is livelihood – thus, the topics will be
Business Math (using operations to computer for taxes, profits, interest rates), Business
English (writing official correspondences, enhancing conversational skills, telephone
etiquette), Production (craft making, food production), and Marketing. Students will have to
simulate setting up and running a small-scale business with the help of the community as
their culminating activity.
The eSkwela Project will continue to uphold this approach by integrating the use of ICT in
the classroom setting. Within a three-hour session, a blended type of learner-centered
instruction will be exercised where students will have one hour of computer-aided learning
via interactive elearning modules, one hour of teacher-led instruction (based on the current
needs of the learners), and one hour of collaborative group activities and projects.
Instructors, called mobile teachers, will be mainly facilitative in a student-paced learning
environment. They shall use performance-based assessment, in coordination with the
community, to monitor the progress of students.
Training
A program will not succeed unless the people who will implement it understand what they
are doing and are confident to proceed as planned. Skills-training seminars take care of this
aspect of the program.
b. Lab Management (5 days) to equip lab managers and technicians with skills on
networking systems and procedures as well as proper equipment maintenance – to
coincide with the delivery of hardware to the respective sites
Outcomes will be measured in close coordination with the Bureau of Alternative Learning
Systems, the Sandiwaan Center for Learning, and the recipient communities. Regular site
visits and Program assessment sessions (i.e. from roll-out: 1st quarter, 6th month, end of 1st
year) will be held to ensure smooth implementation and review of processes. A digital
documentation mechanism will be imposed to ensure optimal use of the laboratories. Class
records and student portfolios will be maintained to serve as documentation of the pilot run.
Year-end interviews, written surveys, and focus group discussions will be conducted to
assess the program’s pilot implementation and to check if the program’s terminal objectives
are being met. Results will serve as inputs for planning the next phase of implementation.
Community Support
The success of the eSkwela Project is dependent on strong support from the local
community. This project will look to local communities to:
a. provide assistance in social mobilization to get OSYs into the eSkewla centers
In return, during weekends, the centers can used to accommodate other stakeholders in the
recipient communities through customized ICT training modules for women and other
disadvantaged/marginalized groups. Special ICT-related projects can also be designed to
cater to community cooperatives with regards to production, marketing, and other business
applications.
The effort to involve the community in the eSkwela Project is consistent with Department of
Education’s Schools First Initiative (SFI). The SFI encourages strong community
involvement in providing educational opportunities within the locality. Furthermore, in
February 2005 the Department of Education “signed a Memorandum of Understanding with
the heads of the leagues of provinces, cities, municipalities, barangays, and the
Sangguniang Kabataan National Federation to promote more literacy programs outside of
schools.” 9
Pilot Implementation
The eSkwela Project will be initially implemented in four selected major urban areas around
the Philippines, namely:
• Cagayan de Oro City
• Cebu City
• Quezon City
• San Jose del Monte
By the end of its Pilot implementation, the eSkwela Project expects to:
• teach more than 400 10 out-of-school youth in its four elearning centers. By the second
year of the Program, a number of them will be ready to undergo the Non-Formal
Education Accreditation and Equivalency (NFA&E) Program of BALS to get a
certification of learning that is equivalent to that of a High School graduate.
• pilot the integration of ICTs in education as enumerated in the National Framework Plan
for ICTs in Basic Education (2005-2010), owing to the flexible nature of the “alternative
learning” curriculum. The results from the first-year implementation will serve as data in
the development of specific curricular standards and guidelines for integrating ICTs into
subject areas as well as in the use of a thematic, interdisciplinary, collaborative, and
authentic approach to teaching and learning that may even be adopted by the formal
education units.
9
Pazzibugan, D. and Ubac, M. DepEd seeks help in fight vs illiteracy. Inquirer News Service.
http://news.inq7.net/common/print.php?index=1&story_id=26512&site_id=16 Accessed: September
2005.
10
Computed as 1 client/unit x 20 units x 4 groups/center x 4 centers, assuming that the same set of clients
will be accommodated year-round.
• make a valid assessment of the pilot run for duplication of more eSkwela elearning
centers around the country.
• commence a study on how to replicate and extend the program to other Asian-Pacific
nations, including submitting papers and reports for discussion in international forums,
and coordinating with international agencies and foundations to discuss possible tie-ups
and implementation details, in consideration of country differences.
CICT-HCDG will provide overall supervision and management of the project. Among other
activities, it will
• coordinate with the Bureau of Alternative Learning Systems, Department of
Education;
• coordinate with various Offices that will provide the laboratory space and manpower
complements to house the eSkwela Center;
• liaise with the local government units of the recipient communities that will be tapped
to cover part of the operating costs related to gaining community support for the
project;
• co-fund the conduct of initial studies in Manila making use of the laboratories under
the Sandiwaan Center for Learning.
• source funds to cover meetings with various agencies, development of monitoring
and evaluation tools, salaries of the program team, and other office operating
expenses.
• provide the technical experts who will assist in setting up and running the eSkwela
Centers.
The Sandiwaan Center for Learning (SCL) will be responsible in converting 50 BALS print-
based modules into interactive eLearning modules. The SCL will also provide experts that
will assist in the conduct of educator and stakeholders’ training. It will also play an active
role in project monitoring and evaluation.
Local communities (including local government units) would be asked to contribute towards
sustaining the eSkwela Centers. The exact contribution of the communities will be
determined after thorough discussion among all the stakeholders in the communities and
between that community and the project proponents.
Equipment
For workstations:
AMD Sempron 2500+ socket 754 64 bit or equivalent
With Headsets + Speakers set 20
For Server:
AMD Sempron 2800+ socket 754 64 bit or equivalent set 1
Internet Connection
1-Year Broadband Internet Connection (DSL) year 1
The Learning Modules are designed to get students attracted to the subject matter and then
to motivate them to discover and delve deeper in to the wide-range of rich learning
resources available in each module, which are in either CD’s or DVD’s.
The self-paced computer learning session is designed for a period of 40 minutes to one
hour. This is then followed by a group discussion or a presentation by the instructor based
on questions and the interest of the students.
Research and practice have shown that the learning in two to three hours using these types
of engaged activities result in deeper understanding and longer retention of learned material
compared to a 6- to 7-hour periods of passive listening to instructor-led lectures.
Embedded in each activity/ session/ lesson in the Learning Modules are various methods to
effectively measure learning. Short quizzes, writing feedback notes, verbal sharing of ideas,
projects, and traditional tests will be used to ensure that learning is taking place.
The SCL eLearning Project, also known as “Educational Outreach through eLearning” or
EDO currently has a core staff of content experts working with graphic artists and multimedia
specialists to produce CD’s and DVD’s of learning modules in English, Math, Science and
Makabayan (Social Studies). The group’s objective this year is to complete the conversion
of 147 printed materials from BALS into digital format, equivalent to secondary school
modules.
A potential future follow-up project would be the conversion of the elementary and “bridging”
modules (between Grade 6 and High School as well as between High School and college).
There are a total of 500 modules that will need to be converted into digital format.