DepEd-ARMM upskills schools on classroom construction management

TUNING UP - DepEd-ARMM Secretary Dr. John Magno (right) and Marjuni Maddi, (left) Assistant Secretary for academics, interrfacing with journalists on programs and projects related to school management. (Anne B. Acosta)

COTABATO CITY --- The Department of Education in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DepEd-ARMM) is bound to upgrade the condition of various elementary and secondary public schools from all over the region.

DepEd-ARMM Secretary Dr. John Magno said they have trained school officials on proper classroom construction management.

“They have to learn even the basic concepts of construction and make familiar with various building designs together as well as identifying quality construction materials,” said Magno.

Magno said school officials should learn these skills so they could be of help in monitoring the construction of classrooms in their respective schools.

He added that the training of school officcials in classroom construction management is one of their strategies for the safety of its end-users, the children.

Magno said they have trained so far at least 1,125 school officials as well as parents of school children together with DepEd-ARMM division supervisors.

“We were able to do this with the help of the Basic Education Assistance for Muslim Mindanao (BEAM-ARMM), a program funded by the Australian Government,” said Magno.

Accordingly, the BEAM–ARMM was launched in 2012 aimed at contributing to the alleviation of poverty and the emergence of peace in the ARMM through targeted investments in basic education.

Moreover, Magno emphasized that by year 2017, public elementary and secondary schools from across the autonomous region shall be entitled to the Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE).

“These also include regular school expenses,” said Magno.

Magno added that the schools shall soon receive their monthly MOOE to further sustain expenses for utilities such as electric and water bills, procurement of school supplies, salaries for janitors and security personnel, and to cover other expenditures.

Magno stressed that in the past, only central schools and national high schools were granted MOOE which resulted problems for the schools from all over the region.

“It was a very hard time for them, most especifically on how to support their financial needs,” said Magno.

Accordingly, the MOOE could be used in the procurement of school supplies needed in classroom teaching, school training activities, utilities and communications expenses, graduation rites expenses, and minor school repairs.

At present., the DepEd-ARMM covers nine schools divisions --- Maguindanao I and II, Marawi City, Lanao Sur I and II, Lamitan City, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-tawi.

To date, there are at least  2,150 public elementary schools and 304 secondary schools in the ARMM. “The (2017) budget is enough to suffice the needs of our schools,”  Magno said.

It was learned that the amount of MOOE allocated for each school is based on total school enrollment, number of teachers, number of classrooms, and number of graduating students.

Meanwhile, the classroom construction management training for school officials is a landmark initiative introduced by the BEAM-ARMM Program and implemented in 2014 by the DepEd-ARMM.  (ANNE B. ACOSTA – MINDANAO EXPOSE’)