SEAMEO
Community Involvement Project
Background
During the SEAMEO Council President’s
visit to the SEAMEO Secretariat on 17 July 1996, His Excellency Sukavich Rangsitpol
announced that many of the primary schools in rural Thailand are considered
"backward" compared to schools that receive funding from the community in
addition to government allocations. A prime example is the Ban
Prue Wai Primary School of the Chachoengsao Province which H E Sukavich Rangsitpol
proposed to the SEAMEO Secretariat Director to adopt. The SEAMEO Secretariat Director
accepted the SEAMEO Council President’s proposal and promised to assess the needs of the
school in order to improve its present condition.
The first official visit to the school was
conducted upon invitation of the SEAMEO Council President during the SEAMEO Centre
Directors Meeting (CDM) on 24 July 1996. The SEAMEO Secretariat Director, SEAMEO
Centres’ Directors, and other SEAMEO Staff toured the school and its facilities. The
Centre Directors agreed at the CDM to adopt the Ban Prue Wai Primary School as a SEAMEO
community involvement project.
A report on the project was presented
before the 32nd SEAMEO Council Conference in February 1997 in Manila. The Council
recommended that SEAMEO Community Involvement Project undertake the development and
promotion of a school adoption programme in Member Countries.
Under the Council’s recommendation, three
SEAMEO Centres have adopted four primary schools. In the Philippines, SEAMEO INNOTECH
adopted two primary schools: Toro Hills Elementary School and Pura Kalaw Elementary School
in Quezon City. Also in the Philippines, SEAMEO SEARCA adopted the Maahas Elementary
School in Los Banos, Laguna. In Brunei Darussalam, SEAMEO VOCTECH adopted Jerudong Primary
School. Including the Ban Prue Wai Primary School, SEAMEO has adopted five primary schools
altogether.
Objectives of
the Adoption
The initial objective is to improve the
existing school system. This will focus on the students, learning facilities (e.g. books,
libraries, and teaching aids), teachers, school management, and parent involvement. The
long term objective is to help the school achieve sustainability.
Recent
Developments
The activities conducted at the schools
vary according to the needs of the adopted school, and the specialization and resources of
the adopting SEAMEO Centre.
SEAMEO INNOTECH has
trained eight teachers from the Toro Hills Elementary School and seven teachers from Pura
Kalaw Elementary School, all of whom were invited to SEAMEO INNOTECH’s training courses
on scholarship. One teacher from the Toro Hills Elementary School was invited to
participate in a seminar-workshop of Project INVENT held at Bicol University from 13 to 26
April 1998. Teachers were encouraged to bring about change within their schools by
developing an adopted school capacity building system. SEAMEO INNOTECH made donations of
furniture and equipment including computers. With the use of new Centre-developed
technologies, research methodologies and teaching strategies, schools are expected to reap
more benefits from these programmes.
SEAMEO SEARCA has donated
computers, furniture and books to the Maahas Elementary School and has provided teacher
training on computer operation. In order to link the adopted school to other schools in
the region, an application for telephone service has been filed with the Philippine Long
Distance Company (PLDT). In order to involve the surrounding community, an organizational
meeting of the Community School Board has been arranged. A plan has been proposed for
teachers to update their skills with continuing education courses offered in English,
Mathematics and Science. For the school year of 1998/1999, fifty scholarships have been
pledged for indigent students from various grade levels. Future plans include more teacher
training, provision of internet access, continuation of scholarship provision to indigent
students, library enhancement, enrichment courses for the school graduates in preparation
for high school entrance examinations, formalizing and strengthening the Community School
Board as an advisory body to the school.
SEAMEO VOCTECH has
completed the needs assessment of the school through on-site visits and held a workshop to
focus on the school’s development. Three out of five areas of concern need to be
immediately addressed, which include teachers’ training, school management and
attitudinal change. Based on the results of the needs assessment, a plan of action has
been implemented to improve the existing condition of the school. The needs are as
follows:
provision of relevant training programmes
to enhance teaching competencies for both teachers and administrators;
provision of professional counsellors;
guidance in conducting workshop/seminars
to enhance teaching and learning activities;
promotion of amicable
pupil-teacher-parent relationships;
establishment of a teachers’ guidance
clinic; and
motivation of higher levels of
achievement in teachers, parents and pupils.
In order to provide the necessary
assistance, the Project team requires two years, from July 1997 to June 1999, to complete
this project. Activities in the first year were focused on training teachers to bring
about change within their schools through the development of a school capacity building
system:
October 1997, formulation of strategic
planning;
November 1997, Computer Literacy training
for 15 teachers;
From 6 to 9 May 1998, a resource person
from SEAMEO INNOTECH facilitated training on Critical Thinking Development for elementary
school teachers. There were 26 elementary school teachers from Jerudong Primary School and
surrounding primary schools in attendance;
From 20 to 22 May 1998, a resource person
from SEAMEO RELC facilitated training on Developing Reading Skills. There were 24 teachers
from Jerudong Primary School and surrounding primary schools in attendance.
From 22 to 25 June 1998, a resource
person from SEAMEO VOCTECH facilitated a workshop on Operating Overhead Projector and
Transparencies for Effective Teaching. There were 25 teachers from Jerudong Primary School
and surrounding primary schools in attendance
SEAMEO Secretariat has
assisted in collecting donations for and conducting some activities to improve the sub
systems of the Ban Prue Wai Primary School.
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