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US Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Leslie Bassett attended an English Language Camp of the U.S. Peace Corps and USAID’s Education Quality and Access for Learning and Livelihood Skills (EQuALLS2) project on April 16, 2010 in Tagaytay City to support teachers working in conflict-affected areas in Mindanao.
At the event, she shared that “teaching is very important. We are building the future of Mindanao, where business can operate, peace can prosper, teachers get the respect they deserve, and children can dream.”
The camp honed the English language skills of 350 English, science, and math teachers and school heads from Mindanao.
Miriam Andik of North Cotabato, one of the teacher-trainees, said that aside from improving her English language skills, the Camp also made her realize that Americans share their desire to promote peace.
In the same week in Zamboanga City, EQuALLS2 documented and solicited feedback on April 15-16 from Department of Education (DepED) Region IX regional and division supervisors on the implementation of the DepED-USAID teacher mentoring program, which some Mindanao public elementary schools have earlier credited as having significantly contributed to their students’ higher National Achievement Test (NAT) scores in 2009.
On April 16-17, EQuALLS2 worked with DepED and madaris (Arabic school) teachers to come up with English, science, and math curricula fit for madaris.
On April 16-18, 55 teacher-mentors from current conflict hotspot, Basilan province, were equipped with teaching skills to address diverse student learning styles.
