DAVAO CITY—Scenic and pristine Tawi-Tawi island, the country’s south-westernmost island province that is part of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), is set to host the annual national management committee meeting of the Department of Education (DepEd) next month.
ARMM Education Secretary Jamar Kulayan said this would be the first time for the region to host the DepEd’s national management committee meeting this February in Bongao town, Tawi-Tawi province, in another bold move of the region to erase its image of a conflict area.
The management meeting would gather the key decision-makers of the DepEd and its regional offices, including Education Secretary Bro. Armin A. Luistro. Kulayan said the scheduled February 23 meeting would discuss “matters relating to the government’s existing programs and policies on education.” Mubarak Pandi, DepEd-ARMM information officer, said preparations are now underway for the management committee meeting.
He said they’re also hoping to bring to the attention of national officials the education needs of the region.
ARMM education officers would also show the strides they made in improving the accessibility of formal education and quality teaching.
These include “the elimination of ghost employees and students, enforcement of a transparent and competitive hiring process for teachers and the introduction of innovative programs that bring basic education to children in hard to reach communities,” Kulayan said.
He said results of the latest National Achievement Test should “indicate an improvement in the performance of elementary and high-school students in ARMM.”
Kulayan said the ARMM would be grateful anew to the effort of the DepEd to provide the ARMM the avenue to show that the region was also a place to hold important gatherings.
Luistro marked the opening of classes for school year 2014-2015 by leading the annual Brigada Eskwela in a school in Maguindanao, another component province of ARMM.