COTABATO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / Feb. 26, 2014) – Australia has funded the renovation of some 30 classrooms in Maguindanao province as part of its assistance to the Philippines under the so-called Basic Education Assistance for Mindanao program.
The project, funded by the Australian Agency for International Development, was formally handed over to the towns of Ampatuan and Datu Odin Sinsuat. Some 7,000 students are expected to benefit from the project.
Program team leader Kevin Corbin said everybody from the community, including teachers and parents, contributed to the success of the project implemented by the Parent-Teacher Associations of Maguindanao.
He said they are targeting to rehabilitate some 300 classrooms in the province by 2015.
Education Secretary Jamar Kulayan praised the Australian government for its support to the BEAM project. “We are thankful to the Australian government for their support to our people,” he said in a statement sent to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.
The Basic Education Assistance for Mindanao program focuses on the most disadvantaged, poor and conflict affected communities. It tackles the issue of low numbers of children who enroll in school, and stay to complete their schooling, and also addresses poor learning results in elementary and secondary schools.
It will enable about 40,000 children to access pre-school and elementary school and provide pre-school classes in around 1,300 remote Muslim communities; education for children affected by conflict; and 1,500 classrooms and 100 water facilities.
The program will establish six centers to produce learning materials and provide health programs in 300 schools. It will improve livelihood skills for 15,000 out-of-school youth. The overall program spans six years from 2011 to 2017, but will be start out as a four year input starting 2011 to 2015. (Mindanao Examiner)
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