Gov’t turns to TV to train teachers in English, math

The government has turned to television for help in training public school teachers in English, science, and mathematics.

The so-called idiot box will be used particularly to reach teachers in remote areas who have difficulty going to the training centers where skills enhancement programs are held.

In a statement, the Department of Education (DepEd) and the government-run NBN-4 said they have launched "Teleserye Para Kay Ma’am," a weekly training program for public school teachers.

DepEd officer-in-charge Undersecretary Fe Hidalgo said NBN-4 will be broadcasting the first episode of "Teleserye Para Kay Ma’am" tomorrow, April 30, from 1 to 2 p.m.

The teleserye is aimed at enriching and upgrading the skills of teachers in English, science and math, Hidalgo said.

The program’s first episode will focus on "Science Process Skills: Making Predictions, Investigating, and Pushes and Pulls," conducted by the University of the Philippines-National Institute of Science and Mathematics Education (UP-NISMED).

Dr. Joan Belen and Mary Ronda, both from UP-NISMED, will be the science teacher specialists for the maiden episode. Regular episodes will air every Sunday.

Twenty episodes for each subject area of elementary and secondary English, math and science are currently being prepared for broadcast.

"Teleserye Para Kay Ma’am" is in line with DepEd’s intensified training program.

President Arroyo recently provided P581 million for teacher training.

Hidalgo said the President herself instructed DepEd and NBN 4 to televise the training programs so that the greater majority of teachers could benefit even through remote or distance learning over television.