The Journey of School GovernING Councils (SGCs) in Talisay City

(First Part of a Series)

Of the 635 student population of Catabla Baybay Elementary School (CBES) in Talisay City, 65% are “non-readers”.

But this is not the story.

How these non-readers and the learning environs acknowledge this circumstance is the story.

Towards the end of 2019, more than 400 pupils of CBES were identified to have difficulty in reading or at least an average of 6-7 students in each section of all grade levels are so called “no-readers”.

In order to upraise the reading proficiency of each pupil, the approach should be one-tutor-one-pupil ratio with an hour daily reading exercises. The 400 tutors required automatically is out of the equation without having to mention the perennial limitation government schools have had in human and financial resources. 

Ms. Mary Ann B. Alunan, English teacher and School Reading Coordinator of CBES opted to engage the pilot sections of Grades 5 and 6 to teach the younger non-readers. 

This reading intervention scheme is called MANONG TOTO-MANANG INDAY Reading Tandem whereby each student in every pilot sections of the senior grade levels are assigned non-reading students identified from each section. 

The tandem-reading-tutorials have to run for at least two to three months on a daily-one-hour-basis in order to bring about some measurable improvements. 

This intervention indirectly has become fitting occasions to imbibe responsibility and generosity among elder-brothers and elder-sisters to share the gift of knowledge.  It was no easy task for the “manong” and “manang” students.  Sitting the non-readers, especially the first-graders was very challenging due to their short-span of attention and focus.  Some would literally carry them “on-their-back” to the Learning Resource Center, play games, tie their shoe laces, etc before reading exercises commence.

And why not the parents to teach reading from home? 

SGC Photo 6 Talisay City Educ SUMMIT 2019

Ms. Alunan revealed that some of the parents cannot read and write which for long had become an inhibited excuse for the many absences in school meetings meant to avoid embarrassment from their incapacity to affix their signatures on the attendance sheet.

And where shall the 400 tutors come from? Initially from the school itself, hopefully the community would likewise come forward to extend tutorial hours on top of the initiatives of non-government and private organizations which for over the years have extended help to this school.

Assistant City Administrator Ismael Penado at the SGC Orientation Workshop

WISH LIST of TALISAY CITY:  IMPROVE THE EDUCATIONAL STATUS

A wish list for 2020 of Talisay City Mayor Neil Lizares was outlined when his administration collaborated with Synergeia Foundation in September 2019 to improve the educational status of the local government specifically in the area of reading and numerical literacy. 

This collaboration is expected to break open the organization and strengthening of School Governing Councils in the city literally engaging the multi-sectoral groups to participate in this endeavor.

(SGC and Synergeia Foundation in the Second Part of the Series)