Adopt-A-Learner Program: Impact of the Implementation in Department of Education Calamba City

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Every child has an inherent right to quality education. To deny a child equal access to quality education is to deny his or her future.

Anchored to this principle, the Calamba City Division started the ADOPT-A-LEARNER PROGRAM in 2012. For the first three years of its implementation, the recipients every year were 580 students. Recipients were identified as financially challenged students from 52 elementary and 21 secondary schools in the Division of Calamba City. The sponsors were mostly non-teaching personnel ofDepartment of Education Calamba City, NGOs, LGUs, Faculty members and Private Individuals.

METHODS

The Descriptive Method was used to elicit answers to specific problems in the study. This method involved gathering data to determine the impact of the implementation of the Adopt-A-Learner Program in Calamba City. It used a 20-item questionnaire on the demographic profile of the child. Moreover, an assessment tool was crafted to assess the achievement of its objective and the implementation of its guidelines.

RESULTS

The study found out that: 1. the learners belong to low income earning families of six siblings with parents working as construction workers; 2. the objectives and guidelines of Adopt-A-Learner Program were highly implemented; 3. majority of the learners' grades were improved under the program in spite of some absences; 4. through the program, the majority of the learners can now afford to buy school needs and reduce their absences; 5. the number of siblings is a vital contributor to the number of absences; 6. the adopt-a-school program has an impact evident in the key results areas; and 7. how the allowance was used and the number of absences was predicted by family income and parents occupation.

DISCUSSIONS

It was recommended that complete profiling of the program's beneficiaries should be implemented. Also, the school heads and teacher counselor should go beyond the implementation congruent to the objectives and guidelines of the program. Furthermore, a comprehensive evaluation and feedback mechanism should be utilized for effective implementation of the program. Moreover, the school administration, along with the internal and external stakeholders as part of the school community, needs to have an eye that will guard the deviation of the other contributing factors that may directly or indirectly affect the implementation and impacts of the Adopt-A-Learner Program.