COTABATO CITY – The Department of Education of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DepEd-ARMM) conducted recently the first Education Summit for Education Communities to help improve the quality and to professionalize the system of education in the region.

Jamar Kulayan, DepEd-ARMM secretary, said the summit brought together more than 200 district supervisors, secondary principals, and members of local school boards, officials of the department, local government units and schools from the Maguindanao II Division. It highlighted innovations and best practices as well as addressed pressing needs of the region’s education sector.

“The Education Summit for Education Communities seeks to solve the problems coming from our Iranun communities. Dito nasasabi nila ‘yung mga problema sa schools nila (They can tell us problems in their schools through this event),” Kulayan said.

Problems on teachers’ appointments, lack of school buildings and the schools’ maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) were raised by the participants.

“We advised them to follow the proper protocol like the Teachers Assessment and Competency Exam for appointments to evaluate teaching proficiency and boost quality education in the region,” Kulayan said.

Kulayan said the requirements for the construction of school buildings like lot donation and funding must be complied with and made available first before any actions are taken.

“For MOOE of schools, it will undergo inspection and will be based on the ratio of number of teachers and students enrolled,” Kulayan said.

“It is our way to showcase how far we have reached and furnished the needs of our Iranun community,” Kulayan added.

The activity also showcased the Alternative Delivery Model (ADM) as a benchmark for innovation in the region.

Synergeia, “a coalition of individuals, institutions, and organizations working to improve the quality of basic education,” facilitated the activity.

In ARMM, Synergeia has continually linked with the regional government and different local government units to strengthen and improve communication and relationships between parties for positive change in the region’s education sector.

ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman said his administration sees education as a solution to illiteracy and poverty in the region. “We will not stop banking on education of the youth in the region,” Gov. Hataman said. (Bureau of Public Information)