The Department of Education Division of Dumaguete City is eyeing three priority programs for this year.
These are the Employees Welfare Program, the Reading Circle Encounter and the Home Stay Program.
Dr. Ramir B. Uytico, division superintendent of Dumaguete City, presented the programs to the Division Management Committee in a meeting Thursday.
Under the proposed Employees Welfare Program, teachers will not need to apply for loyalty pay upon retirement. He said the Division Office will process the loyalty pay so that the teachers will have an easier time.
The Reading Circle Encounter, Uytico explained, teaches the pupils and students how to read but also help them to understand what they are reading.
The third program, which is focuses on high school students, is the Home Stay Program, also called “Project Agakay Program.” Under this program, students who need academic reinforcement will be taken under the wings of a foster family. The families who will apply to this program will undergo leadership trainings and orientations. The students will also be tutored by the students from the Dumaguete City Science High School.
Dr. Uytico said that this program will help reduce the dropout rate. “Part of the program is to take care of the students who are at risk of dropping out,” he added.
This program, he said, will be implemented with the assistance of guidance councilors, principals, parents and project coordinators.
Dr. Uytico also explained that the Agakay Program is in its pilot stage and they will first concentrate on ten students per public school or a total of 70 students who have been identified as Students at Risk of Dropping Out.
“At least we will be able to save 70 students,” Uytico said. He also added that they will focus on the high school because they have a high dropping out rate and if the result is good, they will expand the program next year.
One of the reactors, Councilor Manuel Arbon, agreed with the program. “Based on the discussions earlier, I realized that it’s really a big concern. There are about 5000 plus students in Dumaguete, at least 7 high schools identified and there are about 250 plus who dropped out.” Arbon said. He also added that the 250 is quite alarming.
“As much as possible we have to eradicate or drastically reduce the number of students who drop out,” Arbon said. “Since this program of the DepEd is worth supporting, I suggest that maybe, after the pilot testing or even before its completion in the pilot stage, we can pass an ordinance institutionalizing a similar program,” he added. (Maria Lourdes M. Barte, SU Masscom intern)
