DepEd generates P2.4 B in donations for adopt-a-school

The Department of Education (DepEd) reported yesterday that its "Adopt-A-School" program has generated some P2.4 billion worth of donations aimed at improving the sorry state of public schools all over the country.

The DepEd reported that its program has obtained a network of partners since its inception in 2000.

"From year 2000 to present, over P2.4 billion worth of donations have been generated by our Adopt-A-School program for over 22,000 public schools nationwide," the DepEd said in a statement.

The program, set up by Republic Act 8525 in 1998, solicits the support of private corporations here and abroad to help in the improvement and modernization of public elementary and high schools on a short-term or long-term basis.

Under the program, business groups, non-government organizations, and civil society groups can adopt any public school of their choice.

They then provide the necessary support in the areas of, but not limited to, infrastructure, teaching and skills development, learning support, computer and science laboratory equipment and food and nutrition.

The Adopt-A-School program was also expanded through another endeavor called Brigada Eskwela or Bayanihan Para Sa Paaralan.

The program enlists the support of the community to ease the perennial problems of aging and dilapidated infrastructures and abandoned facilities that could pose a danger to students.

Brigada Eskwela is a nationwide voluntary effort of teachers, parents, students, community members whose task is to do minor repairs on their schools in preparation for the start of the school year.

Launched in 2003, the activity encourages volunteers to provide materials such as paint, cement lumber and other materials for the repair of buildings.

Donations from local businesses and other corporations also come in kind. For the year 2005, community maintenance and other operating expenses amounted to over P1 billion, covering 26,034 public schools or 61 percent of public schools in the country.

But beyond the material and financial gains, the DepEd said what was more important was the goodwill shown by the volunteers in the Adopt-A-School and Brigada Eskwela programs.

"Society benefits not only from better classrooms and school campuses but from the goodwill of those who worked hand in hand to realize the goals of these projects. Therefore, the true value of these initiatives is in how well we can teach our children the essence of community and humanity values," DepEd said.

"No task is as challenging as that of the DepEd whose mandate is to provide quality basic education accessible to several millions of Filipino children. Every year, the Department must cope with the burgeoning demand for tuition-free education. The increasing number of enrollees who troop to our public schools annually is a manifestation that people realize the value of education as the key to a better life. Education is perceived as a means by which people are ensured of a better future for themselves and for their children."

The chronic budgetary constraints and limited resources are some of the roadblocks the department and its partners still must hurdle.

The DepEd said the delivery of quality education is hampered because funding allocation has not been able to match the annual growth of the student population.

As a consequence, schools experience shortages in teachers, classrooms, textbooks, desks, learning facilities and nutritional aid. "With a scenario such as this, it is no wonder that the achievement levels of our students are not at par with that of our Asian neighbors," the DepEd said.

The department has appealed to private sectors to continue to take part in the improvement of the public educational system, saying they have a role to play in the nation’s development.

"Corporate groups, non-government organizations, and civil society groups could be potential stakeholders in sustaining quality education in public schools. And it is thru the DepEd’s programs where these potential stakeholders can participate." — Sandy Araneta