Indigenous Peoples’ Education Program
EXCECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Ateneo de Zamboanga University is a Jesuit university in the city. In its mission to serve as agent of change in bringing about peace and development in the city, in the region of Mindanao, and in the country as a whole, the university has created the Center for Community Extension Services, an office serving the marginalized and hard to reach communities with a preferential option for the poor.
For almost two decades the center had partnered 42 barangays and communities in different programs and projects. The center operate three majoe programs; (1) Health Program, (2) Education and, (3) Sustainable Agriculture and Livelihood.
In June 2011, CCES partnered with the Assisi Development Foundation Incorporation (ADFI) in the implementation of the Indigenous Peoples’ Education Program (IPED) in the city’s marginalized IP communities. The program hope to provide education that could empower them to claim, exercise and protect their rights in accordance with their culture and tradition. For it is indeed a crucial challenge to continue enabling the IPs as the main stakeholder in sustaining the initiatives for the advancement of IP education.
The program is run by the Ateneo Center for Community Extension Services for the first three school years (2011-2014) and hope to turn-over the program to the Department of Education, whose mandate is in their office after its implementing period.
CCES shall be coordinating with the city Department of Education, Suban’on Tribal Council, Barangay Local Government Unit, and Local Education Council (community-based) for the program’s operation and sustainable mechanisms. Regular monitoring and evaluation is part of the entire process.
In the process of the program operation community organizing will also be instigated to the parents/community. This is where CCES’s social development programs (Adult Literacy, Sustainable Agriculture and Livelihood, Health program and Peace education) will be interleaved to communities. Parents will be capacitated to engage in economic and health activities as well. The different stakeholders shall become the community organizers, inspiring others to want for the improvement in their quality of life and, altogether, work towards the IPs dreams.
The Community Partners
Patalon is a barangay situated at the west part of Zamboanga City, 30 km from the city fronting Sulu Sea. It is inhabited by Christians who lives mainly at the center of the barangay, Muslims at the coastal part and Subanon at the vast of the mountain. The barangay has a total population of 7,179 with 1, 1470 HH sheltering 1,150 families. It also has 10 sitios distributed to 6 puroks. Fishing, farming and factory worker are its main source of income. Basic services like health (health center), education (elementary only) and water are accessible to residents who lives at the center of the barangay. Families who live in sitios accessible only by habal-habal and sitios where even habal-habal is inaccessible, basic services are deprived.
Sitio Monte Central of barangay Patalon was named due its location, in the middle of the mountains. This sitio is highly populated by Subanon whom at early years (history) were the first inhabitants of the barangay. Due to the increased presents of settlers, the Subanon fled towards the mountainous part of the barangay. The sitio is 7 km from the centro accessible by habal-habal for the first 4 km and the rest km is a walk.
Labuan is the next barangay after Patalon where secondary education is available for Patalon students. The barangay has a total population of 10,466 with 1,693 HH as of 2002 where 20% of the population are Subanen where at an early years moved from centro Labuan to interior sitio of Labuan due to the presence of other groups like Chavacano and Muslims. The community’s source of livelihood are fishing (34%), farming (55%), business enterprise (3%), private and government employed (4%) and other source of income (3%).
Labuan Sitio Campo Uno is situated at the mountainous part, 7 km from the centro of Labuan where Subanen people lived. It is reachable by habal-habal for the first few km only. Farming and charcoal making are their main source of income.
Barangay Sitio Luuk and Latap barangay Limpapa are another sitios that are mostly lived by the Subanen aside from Christian and Muslim. It is situated 40 Km from the city and the last barangay found at the west part of the city. Human security issues are very visible in terms of education, health, livelihood, environment and governance. Hence, the Ateneo in partnership with the Assisi Development Foundation Inc. has already instigated enabling programs like Adult Education, Health Program, Sustainable Agriculture, Water Project and Peace Education in Sitio Luuk to mitigate these issues. Another realities that the Subanen community are currently experiencing is the access of their children to early childhood education. For the past years, no such program offered nor provided in the community. Hence, children in this community when entered into grade school mostly become major contributor to these low primary achievement and completion rates thus become also contributor to illiteracy rate.
This year however, with the implementation of DepEd K12, 2 day care classes were opened by DepEd. However, with the 287 preschool age children the school could not accommodate all these children and worst most of the left out are Subanen children.
Sitio Kapuk of barangay Lamisahan is found on the east of the city, 40 km from the city. The sitio is accessible by a public utility motorcycle (habal-habal) from the highway and 1 ½ hour walk to reach the sitio. The community is populated by Yakans who migrated from the island province of Basilan in early 70s to seek refuge then later made their homestead. This community is only dependent on their farming for the basic needs of their family.
These communities are categorized to be living way below poverty verge, with an average income of P1, 500 for an average family size of 7. Most of them earn from upland and lowland farming. Other source of income came from charcoal making but which barely significantly helps augment the funds of the family. Bringing the goods to the market is one of the major problems of the community because they have to carry the produced on their shoulders for 30 to 1 ½ hour walk. Children are not exempted from this task. Bringing the goods down is a family task. Each family member is assigned to carry goods to the market depending on their capacity to carry. In Monte Central barangay Patalon, neither cattle nor horse can help transport the produced because of the road condition. In the conversation we had some mothers, they expressed that many of the families in their community could hardly meet their basic needs. They could hardly complete the day-to- day’s meal (3 meals a day). This economic condition is often a major reason for their difficulty in other concerns such as literacy, health and even justice.
Most of the residents of these communities have not gone to school hence illiteracy rate are very high. This situation is expected in a community where educational institution is not present. The nearest elementary school is at least 6 to 7 kilometers away and high school is 10 to 12 kilometers away from the community except for sitio Luuk, Limpapa . Parents complain that cost of sending their kids to school has become too expensive primarily due to transportation cost of at least P50-100 a day. Parents also narrated that their children were not accepted in grade one in elementary because they have not gone to a day care center. Their children then are confronted with no other option but to stay at home and help their parents in the farm and worst is that they opt to get married at an early age or work as house helper in the centro and city.
In sitio Monte Central of Patalon, 60% of the Subanon adult have not gone to school. Presently of the 35 young adults only very few are in school (high school) and none were into college. Among children also, of the 55 grade school age children about 40% only are in school.
In Campo Uno, according to their Tribal leader only 4 were able to finish college since he became the tribal leader (25 yrs more or less). Accordingly the family’s income is not enough to send their children to school. Seventy percent of the adults (70) have not gone to school also. This is because accordingly during their early age their parents can’t send them to school because of their economic condition.
Children at their younger age already helped their children in the farm. At times this causes the irregular attendance in school and worst, lead to drop-out. Cases of teenage marriage are also high especially for women this is because they become hopeless to be in school hence resulted to early marriage.
Ateneo believes that education is one of the core strings that may bring peace and development to community. It will enable the community participate actively, collectively, economically, and even politically, in their barangay, and in the city, with greater power and ability. The Ateneo figures that by educating the young and adults, personal and families’ vulnerability to economic, to diseases, to justice and even driven to a culture of violence will be lessen.
THE PROGRAM
At the heart of Ateneo CCES P commitment at improving the lives of the poor and underserved community is the effort to journey with the Indigenous Peoples towards the attainment of their dream for a better life. More than ever, the IPs now realized the significance of education that could empower them to claim, exercise and protect their rights in accordance with their culture and tradition. Unfortunately however, not only that the Indigenous Peoples remain deprived of education, but also that the education made available to them, even alienates them to their own identity and culture.
On the other hand, the signing of the National IP Education Policy Framework on 2011 is a real breakthrough in the effort to pursue the IP dream of an appropriate and relevant education. As it signifies the aspiration and increasing involvement of the IPs, it also marks the growing commitment of the Department of Education to set up an educational system that is truly inclusive and respectful of the diversity of learners and that will hopefully, prioritize the most needy and vulnerable.
It is within the above context and aspiration that the Ateneo Center for Community Extension Services through partnership put into service the Indigenous Peoples’ Education Program dubbed as “Indigenous Peoples’ Learning Center”
Specifically, the program hopes
To improved the access of IPs to formal and alternative Education
To increase awareness and appreciation of IPs of their indigenous knowledge, Systems and Practices (IKSP) Promotion)
To develop/enhanced competence of IPs/ICCs on IP education and management systems (IP Community-Ownership and Management)
To set-up a sustainability mechanisms for IP education
A. Program Component
Preschool Program
The program aim at providing the right knowledge, skills and attitudes with learning experience that focus on the basic principles of peace: active-non-violence, inter-faith/inter-cultural understanding, and in harmony with nature.
The Preschool program will operate in three years implementing culture-based Day Care curriculum developed. A community based para-teacher will be trained to handle the class.
As in a regular school, the curriculum follows four grading periods and report cards are given to parents after each. Certificate of completion shall be given to learners at the end of one school year.
Conduction of classes follows regular school days and (Monday to Friday), three (3) hours per session. Special attention to learners’ progress shall be evaluated and discussed during these monthly meetings with the parents.
It has been observed that majority of the children are undernourished. This situation will greatly affects their classroom performance. Hence, supplemental feeding will be provided to help improve the nutritional status of the children.
B. Basic Elementary Education (Grades 1 to 3)
Utilizing DepEd Learning Competencies, Integrated with IPs core values and culture, the IPED Primary Education seek to provide IP children the right, knowledge, skills and attitudes and greater appreciation to their culture.
LET passers IP teachers will be employed to ensure the effectiveness of the teaching-learning system and that all teaching-learning activities are experience based.
Enhancement training will be conducted for the teachers. The DepEd will be coordinated for the enhancement and professional growth of the teachers.
Since the IPED Primary Education component will be utilizing DepEd learning competencies, DedEds co-curricular activities will be observed and classroom activities will be implemented. The required number of school days will also be followed.
C. Alternative Learning System – Basic Literacy
The program aim at imploring learning competencies that will provide functional skills rooted to their culture and that will enable the individual participates actively and collectively and become productive individual with solidarity and in harmony with nature. DepEd-AlS Learning Competencies is weaved with communities’ culture and tradition employed in the instruction.
The program will run for 2 years (4 semesters) meeting at least 6 hours a week, 2-3 hours per session. Health and Sustainable agriculture and Livelihood integrated in the curriculum. District ALS coordinator will be closely coordinated.
D. Monitoring and Evaluation
Regular monitoring and classroom observation will be conducted by the lead implementer. Performance evaluation reports for teachers will employ. The LGU and the Local Education Council will also be part of the monitoring team. Feed backing will be done every after classroom observation for immediate intervention. Regular monthly meeting and coaching will be done to discuss and update the overall program operation
E. Project Plan of Action
Expected Output Result/s
Target Indicator/s for the Year
List of Major Activities
Time Frame
Yr1
Yr2
Y3
Improved access to Formal Education
Enhanced awareness and appreciation of indigenous knowledge, systems and practices (IKSP)
Advanced the competence of IP communities in managing IP education systems
Set-up sustainable mechanisms for the indigenous learning systems
3 preschools set-up and 225 IP children attended preschool
1 elementary School set-up and 90 Subanen children attending elementary school
Functional Literacy are made available to 3 IP communities with 60 OSY and adults attending literacy class.
4Cs Mapping conducted in 3 communities and IKSP-based school systems developed: curriculum, indigenous learning materials, policies, programs and activities, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, financial management
IKSP Center established in Monte Central and Campo Uno and IKSP corner in Kapuk
360 IPs have increased awareness and appreciation of their community’shistory, rights as I{s world view, beliefs and values systems
IP festival celebrated annually in a simple but meaningful way
Local educators are using culture sensitive curriculum, management system and materials
8 Teachers/pra-teachers are trained as facilitators and are helping in the effort on community organizing.
Impact and Monitoring and Evaluation system installed in the community
IPOs formed and strengthened as co-partner in the management of the program
Indigenous Learning System anchored to the community development planed developed
Established community learning farm and Livelihood projects assisted
Trained persons in the management of ILS and skills in leadership and project barangays developed
Partnership agreement (MOA) with DepEd and BLGUs
Consultation meetings with primary stakeholders (DepEd, LGUs, Tribal Council, NCIP and community partners in general)
Program Orientaion
Establishment of Indigenous Learning Systems in 3 communities
Establishment of Community-based functional literacy services
Hiring and training of teachers and par-teachers
Conduct 4Cs mapping: community vision, culture and tradition, current realities and challenges, and competencies
Documentation of IKSP
Development and use of IKSP based curriculum and indigenous learning materials
Gatherinbg data of the Subanen and Yakan
Establishment of IKSP centers/corners
IP festival events/activities
Formation of Indigenous Local Education Council
Setting-up and establishment if IP education and management system
Capacity building of leaders: Leadership and project specific skills training session; hands-on training and coaching sessions
Monitoring and evaluation
Impact Evaluation
Setting-up of income generating farm and other livelihood activities
SA orientation organic farm practices and methods/approaches
Establishment of communal farm, herbal garden
Establishment of linkages and other support agencies
Capability building
MOA Signing
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PROJECT BENEFITS
There is no doubt of the benefit the program could give to the entire community itself in making their dreams and aspirations for better life be materialized. Transforming the community through an education rooted to their culture to become learned and economically productive individuals and could help solve a whole arena of social ills.
The community could benefit as well especially in terms of uplifting the economic capacities of the Subanen in the area, reducing incidence of illnesses as healthcare teachings are given them within the ALS curriculum, and peace becomes an effort by its residents.
PROJECT SUSTAINABILITY
Sustainable mechanisms will be ensured since the IPED program will anchored on the Community Peace and Development Program. Indigenous People Organization will also be formed and strengthened as co-partners in the management of the program.
Since Sustainable Agriculture and Livelihood program is part of the ALS component, community learning farm and income generating projects will be set up as laboratory for project management and to provide assistance to Indigenous People learning Center.
Partnership agreements with the DepEd and barangay Local Government Unit will put into placed before to ensure the continuity of the program.
F. PROJECT IMPACT AND OUTCOME
The program envisions for the empowering of Indigenous Peoples and their communities to claim, exercise and protect their rights to peace and development in accordance with their cultures and traditions shall adhere to the achievement of the following:
Improved Access to Formal Education
Enhanced awareness and appreciation of indigenous knowledge, systems and practices (IKSP)
Advanced the communities’ managing competencies in managing the program
Sustainable mechanisms established
