"Pushcart classrooms" educate Filipino street kids Slug: Philippines pushcart classroom Date: 17/05/2012 Reporter: Simone Orendain

IN RO In the Philippines! summer "acation is at its pea#$ %ut some students in a hand&ul o& impo"erished 'anila neigh(ourhoods are (us) going to *street school* than#s to a pilot program o& the education s)stem$ he *pushcart classroom* (rings school to street #ids complete +ith school supplies! ta(les and chairs! a hot meal and a host o& "olunteers$ Simone Orendain &rom Radio ,ustralia has the report$ -. On a hot! sunn) Saturda) morning do/ens o& #ids sit under a tarp on a street corner! practicing reading! +riting and math$ he)0re on plastic ta(les and chairs (orro+ed &rom the local to+n council in No"aliches! 1ust north o& 'anila$ , mint green2coloured cup(oard on +heels sits near the entrance+a)$ It0s a pushcart 2 or *#ariton* in 3ilipino 2 that holds all o& the materials these children need to learn$ P-N,4OS, 54IP 1 63emale! -nglish7: ,ll o& them are street children$ he) are not stud)ing$ 8olanda Pe9alosa is a pu(lic school teacher +ho "olunteers at the street classroom$ he "olunteers are part o& the Department o& -ducation0s pilot program called Pushcart 5lassrooms$ he) +or# +ith the children one2on2one &or t+o hours a +ee#$ P-N,4OS, 54IP 2 63emale! -nglish7: : he) are stopped &or ho+ man) )ears and (ecause o& the reason! the &ather has no +or#$ he parents! the) are separated$ Pro(lems ha"e (een encountered to ma#e them stop$; hese children0s parents don0t earn enough to pa) &or school$ -"en i& pu(lic education is &ree! uni&orms! supplies and meals are not$ Some parents ma#e their children +or# and local o&&icials sa) others push their #ids into prostitution to &und drug ha(its$

Se"en2)ear old 'ar"in +as in #indergarten +hen a t)phoon +ashed a+a) their house and he had to stop school$ hese da)s! he mostl) pla)s outside and helps his mom +ith chores$ <e sa)s his dad doesn0t +or#$ ',R=IN 54IP 1 6'ale! agalog7 %-D >ND-R 'ar"in sa)s his dad0s li&e is ruled () gam(ling and drin#ing$ <e sa)s he li#es dra+ing at the pushcart classroom$ ,ll o& the children here +ere &irst assessed to see +hat grade le"el the)0re in$ he goal is to get them (ac# to &ormal school$ -&ren Pe9a&lorida came up +ith the pushcart concept through his non2go"ernment agenc)! D)namic een 5ompan)$ <e +anted to +heel out education to street #ids in 5a"ite! his home to+n near 'anila$ P-N,34ORID, 54IP 1 6'ale! -nglish7: :?e +ere a(le to encourage them2 encourage these #ids to lo"e learning! em(race it and (e producti"e in li&e$; D)namic een also &inds +illing sponsors or corporate scholarships to pa) &or an) need) child +ho +ants to go to school$ Pe9a&lorida sa)s the program has +or#ed so +ell! the -ducation Secretar) too# notice$ P-N,34ORID, 54IP 2 6'ale! -nglish7: :<e sa+ it as an e&&ecti"e tool to help the street children and send them (ac# to mainstream education! so he0s adopting it$ It0s all a(out &ocusing on the needs o& the child! +here that child is$; -ducation Secretar) ,rmin 4uistro +ants pushcarts in 10 poor 'anila neigh(ourhoods () ne@t school )ear! and then later around the countr)$ 4>IS RO 54IP 1 6'ale! -nglish7: : he) ha"e learned the li(eralit) and &reedom that the street o&&ers and +e don0t +ant to curtail that &reedom right a+a)$; ,t the No"aliches pushcart classroom 1A2)ear old 'arietoni 5andelaria is dreaming (ig$ She and her si(lings +ere a(andoned )ears ago$ She0s determined to get a college scholarship! (ecome a che& and raise her si(lings$ ',RI- ONI 54IP 1 63emale! agalog7 %-D >ND-R 'arietoni sa)s the possi(ilit) o& a scholarship is a (ig deal$ he program made a huge impact on Ra&&) ,lcantara +ho "olunteers at a pilot pushcart$ <e sold snac#s on the streets o& 5a"ite +hen he +as se"en$

he 2B2)ear old landed scholarships &or high school and college and got a degree in mar#eting$ ,45,N ,R, 54IP 1 6'ale! -nglish7: :,nd +ithout the help o& the group D)namic een 5ompan) I +ould not (e here in m) place right no+$ So the) should continue to participate in this #ind o& acti"it) so the) can de"elop their personalit)$ he) can also help themsel"es and someone +ill help them also$; he Department o& -ducation is leaning hea"il) on D)namic een to carr) out the s)stem2 +ide program$ ,nd -&ren Pe9a&lorida is e@cited (ut also concerned a(out ho+ much help the #ids +ill get &rom the go"ernment! once the) lea"e the pushcart classrooms$ 6CCC7