DepEd, University of Auckland to push for reading proficiency in RP

MANILA, Nov. 19 (PNA) -- The Department of Education (DepEd) and the University of Auckland (UoA) in New Zealand on Wednesday sealed an agreement that seeks to improve reading among selected public elementary schools in the country.

The partnership will push for the Reading Recovery in the Philippines Project, a research-based early literacy intervention that successfully decreased the incidence of reading and writing difficulties among children across a range of linguistic, ethnic, and cultural-social groups in New Zealand.

Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said, “It is our firm belief that improving reading can significantly enhance our students’ overall performance. The pursuit for excellence continues as the Department strives to make its reading program at par with international standard.”

Lapus added, “This move will help the department ensure that every Filipino child becomes an effective reader at his/her appropriate level.”

Lapus is joined by New Zealand Ambassador Andrew Matheson, who represented the UoA.

In the agreement, the UoA will train Philippines Reading Recovery trainers and tutors, who will be selected by DepEd. As the Department implements the Reading Recovery Project, partners from New Zealand will facilitate the project through advisory and support visits. The project is also comprised of research for moderation and evaluation and wider academic collaboration.

In April 2008, the Bureau of Elementary Education officials visited New Zealand to observe its Reading Recovery Program.

Convinced that the program can further strengthen existing reading programs, scholars were sent to a diploma course on Reading Recovery. These scholars will compose the pool of reading specialists to implement this program in the Philippines.

“We hope to be the first country in Asia to get a licensed Reading Recovery Program and eventually be a model to other Asian countries,” he added.

He also acknowledged the assistance of the Embassy of New Zealand in the Philippines for providing five scholarship grants to DepEd staff.

“We are grateful to the Embassy for facilitating the visit of the regional directors of those scholars. This study visit will allow these officials to monitor and evaluate our scholars at the University of Auckland,” Lapus said.