Attaining Quality Education In Public Elementary Schools

By Author: Elsa G. Sevilla
Total Articles: 1
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In meeting the challenges of times, a public elementary school must exert much effort to attain the school's vision and mission. It aims of producing graduates who are globally competitive and values-oriented through competent teachers who are skilled enough in delivering the lessons. Of course, also important are available appropriate and adequate instructional materials, teaching aids and devices.
The school must embark on a new journey which will ensure that in a few years' time, results could be seen, outputs could be felt which will usher a new admiration and respect to the teaching personnel for their concerted efforts. This, however, needs sacrifices, patience, close monitoring, supervision and a workable, strong networking.
The idea is to make the school ever responsive to the needs of the students and their parents and being sensitive to the dreams and aspirations of the community people. In order to realize this, strategies must focus on the following:
Instructional - To improve school performance as glimpsed by the results of annual achievement tests as well as by other assessments, the teachers ...
... must first be competent and skilled enough in delivering the lessons. But before the right interventions could be made, there is a need to assess teachers' strengths and weaknesses through regular classroom observations topped by post observation dialogues when feedbacks are freely given, openly discussed and new commitments are set. There must be a tool to effectively identify the least competencies of each teacher wherein the teachers must rate themselves based on a set of questions. From these least competencies, the teachers set their targets of improving their competence within a specified time. The school head then monitors each teacher's progress.
Supporting the teachers is the school's training program. Having drawn out the needed interventions, it is then high time for the school head to prepare a training plan based on needs and available resources.
A teacher must be equipped with appropriate and adequate instructional materials, teaching aids and devices. These devices are effective tools in helping the pupils learn and participate, irrespective of their individual abilities. After all, the devices and techniques used are tailored to different levels of learners. Considering the financial difficulties that some teaching personnel faced, school funds are therefore most welcome. A part of the funds is allotted for the production of these instructional materials. To maximize its intent, teachers should therefore make devices which could be continuously used, and even better, recycled for other future purposes.
In as much as school funds are sometimes limited, then the teachers must outsource funds for other support learning materials. TV sets, DVD players and recording systems play vital roles in learning, coupled with proper electricity, ventilation and beautiful, well-arranged rooms. These entail a lot of expenses, hence teachers must learn the art of asking assistance from parents, community people, local officials, NGOs and other stakeholders. After all, the teachers must really invest-if only to have a good harvest later!
Institutional - Parallel to teachers' competence is the need to make the school conducive to learning. Minor repairs shall be done, new projects shall be initiated and requested for funding. The school has to undergo a facelift, if necessary, in order to create more awareness and pride among the students.
The school must not stop at beautifying the school-it too must create a friendly and peaceful environment where there are no biases, and everyone breathes an air of freedom, justice and fairness. A set of school policies must be adopted, the grievance committee must be responsive, harmonious relationship must be sustained and regular dialogues with parents and stakeholders shall be conducted.
The school must also organize clubs and associations in order to discover and tap talented students and relieve them from classroom pressures. The students must be given time to show off their talents during celebrations, contests and other activities.
Linkages - The role of the parents and stakeholders in realizing school programs and thrusts is immeasurable. The parents are the direct and immediate people whom the teacher could rely on. The teacher must therefore maximize this kind of partnership though regular homeroom meetings and other gatherings. And never underestimate other stakeholders such as associations and friends.
The teaching personnel are aware that meeting the challenges need multifarious approaches. But they must not kowtow no matter how hard the obstacles are, because the mission of educating the youth is already etched in the hearts of the teachers.

ELSA G. SEVILLA is a public elementary school teacher at Aquino Integrated School, Plaridel North District, Division of Misamis Occidental, Philippines. Her website is found at https://sites.google.com/site/aquinointegratedschool/