Education Secretary Armin Luistro has asked education officials in Negros Oriental to relocate public schools away from identified disaster areas.
In a meeting with provincial DepEd officials in Bais City last Tuesday, Sec. Luistro said principals should always ensure that their students and teachers are safe.
In setting up new schools, officials should always consult geohazard maps to ensure that the buildings will not be constructed in danger zones, Luistro said.
The education secretary said that division supervisors and principals should, as much as possible, do everything in the local level. “Do not wait for the budget [from the national office]. Do what you can do right now, but please keep your Mayor and the Division Superintendent of Schools informed.
Sec. Luistro, who came to Bais City upon the invitation of Mayor Karen Villanueva, addressed the teachers and school officials in a forum at the Bais City Cultural Center that was also attended by Bais City officials and by Rep. Josy Limkaichong.
Luistro also defended the implementation of the K plus 12 curriculum, particularly in using the mother tongue to teach principles of math and science from kindergarten until third grade.
“The mother tongue is not merely a translation from the English language,” he said, as there are certain dialects which have better words to describe a specific concept.
Luistro said the mother tongue is only used until the third grade and then, pupils from grades 4-7 will be taught in English. In high school, the students will also be taught another foreign language.
Mayor Villanueva said it was a distinct honor for Bais City to host the visit of the education secretary, who squeezed the visit into his tight schedule.
