DepEd-ARMM addresses concerns of teachers, other school officials in Sulu

JOLO, Sulu– Officials of the Department of Education of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DepEd-ARMM) addressed various issues, problems, and concerns of teachers and other school officials in Sulu Schools Division during an Education Summit held at the Sulu Provincial Capitol on Tuesday, July 21.Dr. John Magno, DepEd-ARMM secretary, said the education summit aims at professionalizing the education sector in Sulu” through the presentation of the state of education in the province, identification of current challenges and opportunities faced by the schools division, and the interventions made by the local school board for the improvement of education in the province.Regional policies and guidelines about teachers’ appointment, deployment and promotion, the school’s fiscal matters such as maintenance and other operating expenses and capital outlay, were discussed by Dr. Magno. Gone are the days when the applicants are appointed and deployed without looking at their teaching competence, and the qualified applicants not given the teaching item due to them,” Dr. Magno said.Problems about unfinished school buildings were also given attention. We also sent our monitoring team to check and survey the school buildings in the province, and we will take the necessary actions for proper implementation of the projects,” Dr. Magno added.A total of P560 million has been allocated for the construction of school buildings across the autonomous Muslim region for school year 2015-2016.In a statement, ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman said education holds a vital role in the development of a country, and in the formation of peace and prosperity among the people.Almost a thousand teachers, division heads, district supervisors, school administrators, provincial and municipal officials, including provincial line agency officials, and members of Sulu school board attended the summit. We have education summits conducted in the provinces so that issues and problems from the ground will be brought to the regional office,” Marjuni Maddi, regional assistant secretary for academics, said. This summit became a way for us to understand more the state of education in our school division, and know the officials from the regional office of DepEd,” said Gaber Baid, 37, a grade 10 mathematics teacher from Maibung National High School - Extension Campus in Maimbung town. The school has more than 1,000 students.OnMay 18this year, an education summit was also conducted in Parang town in Maguindanao for Maguindanao II Schools Division.