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About the Author
Camarines Sur Schools Division Supt. Emma Imperial Cornejo is widely considered as one of the most brilliant, hardworking and dedicated DepEd officials to occupy the position. A BSE Magna Cum Laude graduate of the University of Nueva Caceres, she rose from the ranks starting as a high school science teacher, becoming a topnotch module writer, textbook evaluator and LET reviewer. She is known for strict adherence to DepEd policies and regulations and sustains her conviction that her job should be apolitical.
This means for instance that in the delicate task of hiring teachers the criteria already laid down by the DepEd should be followed to attain the desired quality of teachers, rather than depend on recommendations.
A Career Service Executive Officer with Rank VI, Supt. Cornejo has completed the academic requirements and passed the comprehensive examinations for doctoral degree major in Educational Management at the Bicol University in Legazpi City. She is married to Associate Professor Ely Abad Cornejo of the Partido State University with whom she has three children. |
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Values formation is always the centerpiece of the undertakings of the DepEd in Camarines Sur |
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The positive impact of an agency to society, they say, is its capacity to attain to the fullest its vision and mission to contribute meaningfully to such society. DepEd Camarines Sur Division is part of a complex and huge department mandated to provide quality basic education for every Filipino youth. This is to equip them with intellectual and physical competencies to attain quality life for themselves and for others in the community and the nation as a whole.
How this takes place is the single challenge of every DepEd Division in the country. The challenge even becomes greater when the reins of leadership are taken over in a transition due to the retirement of its former leader. That is the case in DepEd Camarines Sur Division. It would take a leadership style that is fluid but responsive to the demands of an extra–large division as DepEd Camarines Sur at the same time sustaining the benefits derived from laudable projects and programs of the former superintendency.
This is against the current backdrop on stronger emphasis on decentralization of roles and functions giving way to School Empowerment. It means that under the so-called School–Based Management or SBM, both the instructional and administrative management of schools have been made the main responsibility of school heads rather than of the division or district office leadership. This implies the need for reliable, competent and assertive school managers who are at home in school–based management at the same time striving to empower their teachers to competently manage in return the teaching–learning process in the classrooms thus effecting meaningful life–long learning; managers who will utilize wisely available limited human and material resources for the school to deliver quality basic education. DepEd Camarines Sur leadership’s main concern therefore in this present time has shifted to the development of competencies and attitude for quality school–based management.
Vision, Mission and Thrusts
A shared vision is 50% attained as experts point out. It is in this light that the present leadership aims to inspire DepEd Camarines Sur Division and Field Offices and their personnel to become collaborators in achieving its dream. As such, year 2005 was a time for crafting the division’s vision, collaboratively fashioned by all who are actively involved in its operations and reflective of its present value system. It is a dream of sustaining an organization in its unique environment of highly competent personnel; with deep sense of commitment and accountability and who in active partnership with stakeholders, continue to grow value – laden, patriotic and self – directed learners. These are young people equipped with skills and knowledge to uplift themselves and others to attain quality life.
With this dream, in many of its endeavors for quality education in offices and in schools, the division has continued to underscore the importance and the need to be always competent in the performance of individual and group duties and responsibilities. This is without forgetting the significance of having a deep sense of accountability to oneself and to others and the government as a whole.
Meeting The Needs of The Public
To date, the banner program of the division is the ECARP (Every Child A Reader Program) for the elementary level and Developmental and Remedial Reading Programs for the secondary level. This is in pursuit of the educational tenet that a child who is a reader is a learner. The former Bridge Program of the department is now being implemented in a modified form of Selective Remedial Reading Program to catch those who made it to the high school level but are wanting in the basic education competencies of reading and comprehension.
As always, values formation is the division’s centerpiece in all undertakings. Basic values of love of learning, self- empowerment, self-respect and respect for others and other related values are modeled and taught with the end view that either way, these values are caught by the schoolchildren and youth. Character Education in the elementary grades has been revitalized in keeping with the latest development in the elementary grades. Learnings here are further firmed up in the secondary level through the Values Education subject. Most of all, learning experiences to make not only learners but also all personnel to value and develop self-direction is relentlessly pursued in the classrooms, in conference halls, in schools.
Effective instructional delivery systems continue to be the main concern relative to improving the academic standards of schools. The systems include built–in evaluation mechanisms to determine extent of quality of learning outcomes. Even budget allocations have been made to be more generous towards academic program implementation.
Increased community and stakeholders collaboration has been pursued strongly by the leadership while seeing to it that educational management basically lies with the schoolhead. Participative decision – making and action are encouraged.
Supervisors are motivated to work out their own programs and projects in the light of observed needs out of monitoring and supervisory activities. This they do in interphase with parents, stakeholders and schoolheads. Schoolheads are trained on effective program/project planning and implementation. School Improvement Plans (SIP’s) are formulated with limited intervention from the leadership but with high expectation that these plans when effectively put into action will make a positive difference to basic education and learning.
Anticipating Lesser Availability and high Cost of Key resources
DepEd Camarines Sur, like other government agencies, is greatly affected by the meager budget in support of its programs and projects. Thus, it has included in its policies cost-saving measures in office and school operations. It has likewise strongly motivated school managers to adopt creative strategies for additional income generation. To date, the Food Production for Supplementary Feeding Program is being started in most schools. This is implemented side by side with other forms of feeding programs out of local and international sponsorships. Feeding Programs in schools is in accordance with the policy of the division of fully supporting learning through the preparedness of learners because they are physically and mentally well.
This calls to mind the strong support of the division towards the full implementation of the Brigada Eskwela Program that may as well be a model for effective collaboration between the school and the community generating resources to improve not only learning capabilities but the school’s physical facilities as well.
Increased yearly enrolment likewise has created multifarious concerns such as big class sizes, lack of classrooms and teacher complement. Along this line, the division has revitalized the partnership of LGU’s, the PTCA’s/PTA’s and the school to provide assistance in matters of resource generation and prioritization of its use. Local Executives from barangays to the provincial level provide additional teacher complement by way of financially supporting locally funded teachers to schools in need.
The Restructured Basic Education Curriculum or RBEC provides pupils/students opportunities to develop computer literacy skills. The division is a strong implementor of the department’s computerization program in both elementary and secondary levels. This, and the provision of additional information technology equipment out of the benevolence of local and higher government officials, have continued to make the program functional to attain its goal of computer literacy skills development of a greater number of learners in the province.
Strategy for a Long Term Vision
The division’s vision and mission, now written and displayed in a prominent place in the division office grounds, express its long-term view of the effectiveness and impact of the agency. Its mission: that all schools provide quality basic education equitably and accessible to all through:
Formal and alternative learning system initiatives continuing enhancement of capabilities of all concerned For meaningful management of learning Values reorientation Strong networking with Stakeholders shall be the kind of environment this division shall continue sustain in order for it to attain its dream of a better and relevant agency. In this light, these shall be the underlying directions to which this Office has anchored its chance to stand side by side with other government agencies, proud of what it has contributed to the common good and strong in its resolve to strive to be better than the present through empowerment of all who put a strong stake to basic education as our only hope for a much rewarding future.
