April 17, 2021 – In anticipation of more challenging issues in education, the Department of Education (DepEd) has started setting up its Education Futures Unit (Educ Futures) to strategically evaluate and integrate trends and advancements in learning and teaching processes.
“Ang ating responsibilidad ay paghanda ng ating kabataan para sa kanilang kinabukasan o ‘yung tinatawag nating the world of worth, the world of further education. Kailangang magiging maingat tayo at titingnan na natin kung anong mangyayari. Ano ba ang future ng education,” Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones said.
The Educ Futures unit aims to seek answers to numerous challenges facing education, and craft policies based on research, global trends, and best practices.
Undersecretary for Curriculum and Instruction Diosdado San Antonio further explained that the goal of the unit is to explore scenarios in education and anticipates how things would be beyond administrative terms.
“We believe that anybody, any well-meaningful educator has to be mindful of the future of education and this requires all of us to heavily exercise strategic foresight,” Usec. San Antonio said during his keynote speech in the EduTECH Philippines Virtual 2021 Day 1.
With a vision for every learner to be independent, work-ready, and a self-fulfilled proactive citizen, the Educ Futures will receive guidance and aid from concerned committees in the Senate and the House of Representatives, universities and higher learning institutions, and international networks.
“Education technology has offered us a lot of opportunities that young children will be very excited about. It makes them more curious about things and it enables them to explore the world on their own,” expressed San Antonio.
Meanwhile, Undersecretary for Administration Alain Del B. Pascua highlighted the different learning modalities created in support of the BE-LCP during his keynote on the 2nd day of the EduTECH event.
“The Department has always worked hard to ensure that every child has access to quality education even in the face of disaster or pandemic. This is the driving force behind our efforts to form DepEd blended learning framework,” Usec. Pascua said.
Usec. Pascua cited the development of DepEd TV, DepEd Radio, and DepEd Commons amidst the pandemic were some of the steps of the Department to ensure learning continuity, even in Last Mile Schools.
“Education in the Philippines has evolved and continues to evolve as the country and the world copes with the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. The fearless and proactive response embodied in the program, I have shared with you, enables us to keep moving forward,” Pascua emphasized.
