The CIE School for Leaders' Advocacy

The Current Situation

Billions of private funds have been poured, directly or indirectly into the public school system to improve the quality of education. Yet, the deterioration continues.

The state of Philippine education is bleak. Official statistics from the Department of Education reveals that 9.2 million out of 57.6 million Filipinos aged 10 to 64 years cannot read, write, subtract and add, or understand simple instructions.

CIE has chosen social engagement and the Pearl Principle as the anchor of its educational philosophy. The Pearl Principle is an ideology of positive change. It states that one has to initiate change from within and within one's sphere of influence. It is an advocacy of transforming a state of hopelessness into a state of optimism where opportunities are created as in the creation of a pearl.

The Founder of CIE, Prof. Nelia Cruz Sarcol, has always emphasized that, "the only way we can develop leaders who will champion the upliftment of the quality of human life, is to show the youth -the way, by living our lives as best examples. Only then can they become influential, enlightened generative leaders who possess power with compassion, might with morality, and strength with sight!"

The CIE Board of Trustees and its Officers are spearheading the movement to address problems in education and poverty by developing and funding viable and sustainable programmes with NGOs, POs, cooperatives and like-minded individuals as partners.

The Answer: Social Entrepreneurship Movement

Social Entrepreneurs are Generative Leaders who combine business savvy with social mission. They are P.E.A.R.L.S.: Passionate, Ethical, Action-oriented, Results-focused, Leaders of Society.

They lead, inspire, provide a vision and engage people to create something of themselves, thereby, fundamentally changing communities. Social entrepreneurs are catalysts of change.

Bill Drayton defines a social entrepreneur as someone who recognizes when a part of society is STUCK, and provides new ways to get it UNSTUCK. He finds what is not working and solves the problem by changing the system, spreading the solution and persuading entire societies to take quantum leaps.

Social entrepreneurs, Drayton adds, "are not content just to give a fish or teach how to fish. They will not rest until they have revolutionized the fishing industry."

However, social entrepreneurs are like other entrepreneurs. They look for "irritants" in the environment and convert these into opportunities. They do this mainly as a social mission, with the savvy of "combining the very best of the not-for-profit, philanthropic world with the very best of the for-profit, enterprising world" (Bill Strickland, "Genius at Work"). They pursue their goals with the same fervor and discipline as any true blue entrepreneur.

The Solution: Thinking Out-Of-The-Box

Not-for-profit and the for-profit organizations can work together to address this problem. NGOs, POs, cooperatives or individuals can get together to take up the challenge and set up an alternative parallel school system. This concept is called the Pearl Principle Formation School (PPFS) System. PPFS System is established in support of public school but planned, led, organized and coordinated for quality by the people, of the people, for the people. We can begin by establishing a program from Kindergarten until Grade 2. CIE has already established one PPFS in Compostela, Cebu which has graduated over 400 kindergarten students to date. Many have moved on excelling in the public schools with a great percentage graduating elementary with honours.

The Pearl Principle Formation School System

The first 6 years in a child's life, the early childhood stage, is the most crucial because it is within this period that the foundation of one's PERSONHOOD is laid out. The PPFS System offers pre-school education with a strong bias on Reading and Comprehension, Writing, Mathematics and English as a Second Language.

The PPFS System uses a curriculum validated by a system-wide Quality Assurance, known as Global Examinations and Qualifications (GEQ). Designed by curriculum experts from leading private schools, less privileged students are assured of better quality education. It is administered using a curriculum that is consistent with quality standards, and supported by first-rate teacher training offered at a very affordable cost.

The Business Model: Entrepreneurial Management Development

Traditional sources of funding are becoming scarce. Donor-fatigue syndrome is mounting because of global recession and economic crisis.

The ultimate goal is to have the parallel school system attain self-sufficiency while increasing its social impact. This is achieved by massively promoting Social Entrepreneurship to operate as many Pearl Principle Formation Schools as possible in disadvantaged urban and rural areas.

The main requirement is the PASSION for social engagement to make a difference in the development of our country. NO LICENSE FEE is required.

The Challenge

How many of us will dare find the gift within ourselves and actually turn it into something positive? How many of us can find and honour our strength and flexibility with the inner power to create and succeed rather than break apart?

As CIE endeavors to build a better future for the Philippines through quality education, The School for Leaders enjoins Filipinos to engage with its mission - for love of country.