Category: Technology

The administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is committed to improving the quality of education in the country, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said Saturday. She made the assurance as she addressed the 888 new graduates during the 81st commencement exercises of the Leyte Normal University (LNU) in Tacloban City. In her speech, Pangandaman noted that under the 2023 national budget, the Marcos administration has provided the highest budget allocation of PHP909.1 billion to the education, culture, and manpower development sector. ‘Specifically, the budget includes an allocation for basic education inputs, education assistance, and subsidies, universal access to quality tertiary education, and basic education facilities program,’ she said. ‘This is consistent with the Constitutional mandate to assign the highest budgetary priority to education and adherence to the President’s directive to continue empowering the youth.’ Pangandaman said her office, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), is careful in crafting a national budget to ensure that it is ‘responsive to the needs of the time and addresses the immediate and pressing concerns of all Filipinos.’ She said education would retain its huge chunk of the budget to give Filipino learners access to better learning tools and equipment. ‘Sisikapin po namin na patuloy na bigyan ng mataas na pagpapahalaga ang sektor ng edukasyon dahil naniniwala kami sa kakayahan at ambag ng kabataan sa pagpapaunlad ng Bayan. Kaya hindi po kami papayag na pagkaitan ang mga kabataan ng oportunidad para matuto at malinang ang kanilang mga kakayahan (We will do our best to continue giving high importance to the education sector because we believe in the potential and contribution of the youth to nation-building. We will not deprive them of the opportunity to learn and cultivate their talents),’ Pangandaman told the graduates of LNU’s College of Education, College of Arts and Sciences, and College of Management and Entrepreneurship. The budget chief urged them to actively participate and cooperate for the fulfillment of the government’s bid to bring progress and development to the country. “To the LNU graduates of 2023, as you reach for your individual goals, I urge you to take part and contribute to our national commitment. The country needs you,’ she said. ‘Join us in our crusade towards a better Philippines as we envision a nation where Filipinos can thrive, progress, and reach for their dreams.’

Source: Philippines News Agency

Research Institute for Educational Sciences, with support from Australia and the United States Agency for International Development through BEQUAL Programme has launched training for Master Trainers of the Spoken Lao Programme to help teachers build the Lao literacy skills of students who start primary school not yet able to speak Lao.

Starting in September 2023, the revised Spoken Lao Programme will be piloted in treatment and control schools in 21 selected districts across 10 provinces.

Laos is a culturally and linguistically rich country, with four main ethnolinguistic groups and over 50 languages.

When children begin school, they are fluent speakers of their home language, but around 40% of grade 1 children are not yet confident speakers of Lao.

This creates challenges for students and teachers, as children need to learn to read and write in Lao and also need to learn the curriculum content of the various subjects in Lao.

Mr. Khamchan Latthayord, Deputy Director General of the Research Institute for Educational Sciences (RIES) and Mr. Bob McLaughlin, Policy, Strategy, and Governance Manager, the Basic Education Quality and Access in the Lao PDR (BEQUAL) Program opened the training of trainers’ workshop for the Spoken Lao Programme (SLP).

Fourteen Master Trainers from Research Institute for Educational Science (RIES), Ban Keun Teacher Training College, Sathid Primary School in Dongkhamxang Teacher Training College and Thonkgang Primary School will be participating in this one-week workshop.

The training will focus on the contents of the revised SLP materials and effective techniques for developing students’ oral Lao language skills.

Participants will also prepare to train teachers on adapting activities to suit the language level of their students, using games to create an enjoyable atmosphere for language learning, and using students’ first languages to support Lao language learning.

The implementation of this new phase of the SLP will receive the support of the Government of Australia and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the BEQUAL programme.

Mr. Khamchan commented, “The objective of this training is to provide Master Trainers with a good understanding of the revised materials and confidence to pass on their knowledge to the Grade 1 teachers who will implement the Spoken Lao Programme from September 2023. We’re grateful to the governments of Australia and the United States of America for assisting the Ministry of Education and Sports to reach the goal of quality education for all children in Laos’.

Mr. Bob McLaughlin added “If students aren’t competent in the language of instruction, it is extremely challenging for them to understand the teacher, participate in activities and achieve the expected learning outcomes. Australia and USAID, through the BEQUAL programme, are honored to support the efforts of the Ministry of Education and Sports to introduce remedial support for students that start school not yet able to speak Lao. Together, we are working towards a more inclusive education system in Laos.”

Ms. Phonesiri Outthaivanh, Lao Language Research Centre at RIES explained, “In 2019, MoES with the support of the Australian government launched the Spoken Lao Pilot consisting of an additional five hours of Lao language lessons each week (in addition to normal school hours) to improve grade 1 students’ Lao speaking and listening skills. SLP was previously trialed in 7 districts with large numbers of ethnic students who do not speak Lao at home in Phongsaly, Borikhamxay, Khammuan and Saravan provinces between 2019 and 2021. Drawing on lessons learned and teachers’ feedback from this pilot, the Spoken Lao materials and approach were improved, and further user tested by teachers through classroom trials. Our dedicated division for Lao Language Research was established to lead on these developments and the pilot was upgraded to a Programme. The revised materials were formally approved for use in April 2023 by the Committee for the Approval of Curriculum and Instructional Materials. An expanded trial of the new materials will be carried out in 21 districts in 10 provinces in school year 2023 – 2024.”

In July the Master Trainers will deliver the Spoken Lao Programme training to teachers and pedagogical support staff in 10 provinces across Laos. Teachers will be given hands-on training on how to deliver the new programme effectively and how to support students’ Lao language development more broadly. The training will also be an opportunity for teachers and pedagogical support staff in each province to connect, share experiences, and create an ongoing community of professional support.

In addition to the Spoken Lao Programme, MoES with the support of Australia, is currently producing a role model teacher video in which a teacher in a remote village in Phongsaly shares her experiences of teaching ethnic students who speak a language other than Lao at home. This documentary will be available soon. Teachers can also watch a training video on techniques to support ethnic students, which is available on the ???????????????????????? Teacher Development Videos YouTube channel.

Mr. Khamchan concluded, “We are looking forward to the roll out of the revised SLP and to providing ongoing support for teachers to improve the education outcomes of children who speak a language other than Lao at home.”

Source: Lao News Agency

Almost 2 million elementary students and more than 60,000 teachers and school leaders in Mindanao are expected to benefit from the recently-approved Teacher Effectiveness and Competencies Enhancement Project (TEACEP), the World Bank said. In a statement over the weekend, World Bank said the project seeks to improve the learning outcomes for children in kindergarten to grade 6 (K-6) by delivering professional development opportunities to teachers through a comprehensive coaching and professional development program. The bank will provide $110 million to support the project which will be implemented in Zamboanga Peninsula, South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos, and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). According to World Bank, these areas which have high dropout rates, below-average enrollment rates, low performance in reading and math scores, and significant indigenous populations, offer insights for educational improvements. ‘Focusing educational interventions in these regions known to be among the poorest in Mindanao can have a powerful impact, providing opportunities for people and communities to improve their lives, while also yielding valuable lessons for boosting the overall quality of education nationwide,’ said World Bank senior economist Sachiko Kataoka. TEACEP will focus on enhancing literacy, numeracy, and socioemotional skills and will also prioritize peacebuilding, gender-sensitive instruction, climate and disaster resilience, and inclusive education. School leaders and supervisors will also receive training to enable them to better support and guide teachers in their instructional practices. TEACEP will also support the provision of tablets to students, teachers, and coaches. For ‘last-mile schools’ in remote and disadvantaged areas, the project will support the airing of radio-based instructions and television programs and provide solar-powered transistor radios with built-in lights which can help schools with limited access to electricity continue instruction even during weather-induced emergencies. World Bank country director for Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand Ndiamé Diop said TEACEP is part of the World Bank’s continuing support to boost human capital in the Philippines. ‘Education is a key driver of development, as it equips people with the knowledge and skills they need to participate in the workforce, contribute to the economy, and improve their standard of living,’ Diop said.

Source: Philippines News Agency

As part of its continuous support to French-speaking education, the French Embassy in Laos has organised, together with the Ministry of Education and Sports of Laos, professional workshops for students in bilingual classes across the Lao PDR.

From May 19 to 30, more than 400 secondary and high school students throughout Vientiane, Luang Prabang, Savannakhet, and Champassak were able to discover career opportunities offered by French-speaking skills.

These events allowed students to better understand the way bilingualism can multiply opportunities in the job market, in sectors such as tourism, law, digital marketing, journalism, teaching or finance thanks to presentations by 18 francophone professionals.

Following up with the First Career Forum for French-Speaking Young Graduates held in February 2023, this project funded by the French government matches the aims of the Lao education system reform at university level which, among other things, provides for the development of a better balance between academic training and the professional world.

The aim is to show students and their parents that French is a language of economic empowerment through mobility and employability.

France aims at strengthening support to French teaching throughout the Lao education system, from primary school to university, in accordance with the ministry of Education and Sports’ Five-Year Education Sector Development Plan (2021-2025).

Offering long term economic potential, learning French can help Lao youth build professional networks and enrich their career opportunities.

Promoting empowering education is a key part of France’s action in Laos, helping professional development of Lao youth and contributing to intercultural dialogue through French teaching.

Source: Lao News Agency

A Taiwan university would produce over 200 Filipino engineers in the next few years under the Taiwan government’s work-study program, the Manila Economic and Cultural Office reported on Sunday. So far, the Minghsin University of Science and Technology in Hsinchu, Taiwan already had 73 Filipino graduates of Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering major in Management (IEM), the first batch of whom comprised all-women engineers who graduated last February, according to MECO Chair Silvestre Bello III. The second batch of 53 engineering students graduated last week. Taiwan’s work-study program has benefited to date 201 Filipino students from various parts of the country since it started in March 2019. “I express our gratitude to the Minghsin University management and teachers for your dedication and hard work especially as you orient, accompany and oversee the students’ academic progress as well as their social, cultural and spiritual journey in Taiwan,” Bello said in his graduation message. The work-study scheme is under Taiwan’s Academe-Industry Collaboration Program. A total of 201 students from all over the Philippines had already been enlisted in the program. The study program is a four-year baccalaureate degree specially designed to integrate study and internship. Other than academic lessons, the students are given intensive Mandarin lessons and undergo internship trainings in Industrial and semiconductor companies located at the Hsinchu Science and Industrial Park. It is during the internship period that the students are provided with immediate employment opportunities after graduation. Of the total number of Filipino graduates, only two had opted not to stay in Taiwan to continue working. One of the graduates decided to pursue further studies in Australia while the other is back in the Philippines to set up her own business. The selection of beneficiaries under the work-study program is undertaken in partnership with the Congregation of Missionary Sisters of Saint Charles Borromeo through the various diocese in the country.

Source: Philippines News Agency

Vietnam took the lead at the first Abu Reikhan Beruniy International Chemistry Olympiad after all of its eight students won medals, including four golds and four silvers, announced the Ministry of Education and Training and the Vietnam Chemistry Association.

The four golds were earned by Do Phu Quoc from Quang Nam province’s Le Thanh Tong High School for Gifted Students, Nguyen Nguyen Hai and Le Quang Truong from Nghe An province’s Phan Boi Chau High School for Gifted Students, and Nguyen Huu Tien Hung from Bac Ninh province’s High School for Gifted Students.

The silver medals went to Truong Bao Ngoc from Bac Ninh province’s High School for Gifted Students, Hoang Tien Cuong from Nam Dinh province’s Le Hong Phong High School for Gifted Students, Tran Duc Anh from High School for Gifted Students of the University of Science under the Vietnam National University, Hanoi, and Giap Vu Son Ha from Bac Giang province’s High School for Gifted Students.

The competition, designed for students under 18 years old, was organised by the Ministry of Preschool and School Education of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Khorezm region every two years starting from 2023.

In the first round, students undertook a theoretical examination consisting of seven tests within a 5-hour timeframe. In the second round, they engaged in a practical examination lasting three hours.

This year, the competition was held from June 11-17, with the participation of 15 countries. The Vietnamese delegation ranked above strong teams such as Russia, Uzbekistan, Brazil, India and Turkey./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency