Helping Hands: Helping Learners Achieve Their Dreams (innovation in Access to Education)
Keywords:
enrolment, drop-out, partnership, scholarship programAbstract
INTRODUCTION
Tanauan City integrated High School (TCIHS) is the biggest public secondary school in the City of Tanauan. Being strategically located, the school's enrolment has continuously been increasing over the years. Economic hindrances cause many students to drop out of school opting to work and help their parents augment their family's basic needs, thereby creating an alarming rate of dropouts in the previous school years. Because of the increase in the number of dropouts every year, the school thinks of a best practice that can save their learner's academic status.
METHODS
Guided by the Department of Education's vision and mission of providing quality education for all, TCIHS through the collaborative efforts of teachers and private companies particularly IIbiden Philippines inc., launched the HELPING HANDS ADOPT-A-SCHOLAR PROGRAM (INNOVATION IN ACCESS TO EDUCATION) in the school year 2013 -2014. The main objective was to provide assistance, both financial and emotional to the selected students. for effective implementation of the program, the school organized a technical working group. Moreover, the following strategies were made; planning, adjustment, operating procedure, evaluation, and reporting.
RESULTS
Without Helping Hands Program, there was a 7.54% increase in dropping out cases from SY 2013-2018. However, upon launching the program, it went down to 1.87%. From 119 drop-out cases, the number dropped down to 53. From 34 students, the program is now catering 178 student-scholars with an increase equivalent to 544.12%. There is also an increase in the number of performing scholars. From 33, the number swelled to 58 performing students. This reflected a 75.76% increase in performance rate. Moreover, the number of sponsors from 2013 has rapidly increased from 9 to 145 by 2018 which shows that there is a 1511.11 % increase.
DISCUSSIONS
The results showed that with the strong partnership of the school and Ibiden Philippines. inc., Helping Hands is definitely sustained. Effective teamwork among school staffs is practiced as it ensured the smooth running of the program. Many of the deserving students were given the chance to continue to stay in school. The program created a positive impact to our scholars as it broadened their social connectivity towards their sponsors. If the team will continuously work together, they can ensure the success of the implementation in the long run and can surely help more deserving students not only in TCIHS but to the whole Division of Tanauan City.