The Department of Education or DepEd is looking into the feasibility of implementing the “Nanay-Teacher Parenting Program” in all public elementary schools nationwide for upcoming School Year 2015-2016.
In a committee hearing before the House of Representatives, DepEd Assistant Secretary Jesus Mateo said they want to implement the objectives of House Bill No. 5243 or “Nanay-Teacher Parenting Program Act” of Valenzuela City Congressman Win Gatchalian.
During the initial deliberation of the House Committee on Basic Education and Culture on the “Nanay-Teacher Bill”, Mateo said even without the passage of the bill, the Education department can implement the same project by releasing a memorandum circular.
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“We can look into the possibility of doing the program in schools nationwide because if it is just to insert the objective (of and activity stated in the bill) into the programs of the PTA (Parent-Teacher Association), we can do that through a department order until the actual bill is passed into law,” Mateo said.
Mateo issued the statement after Cebu Rep. Gwendolyn Garcia requested to members of DepEd during the hearing to integrate the parenting program in their set of academic activities for the upcoming 2015 to 2016 academic year.
Garcia, who is a vice chair of the committee on Basic Education and Culture, said the need to implement a national parenting program is urgent and should not be delayed by the lengthy legislative process.
“The long and tedious process of legislation is a reality. Bills turning into laws may even take two or three [Congress conventions] before it actually happens so I am manifesting to DepEd to integrate the objectives of the bill into their activities,” Garcia said.
Representatives from the DepEd expressed willingness to implement an annual “Nanay-Teacher Parenting Program” in the academic activities of public elementary schools starting on parents of students from kinder to Grade 12.
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Alberto Muyot, who is the DepEd undersecretary for Legal and Legislative Affairs, admitted that DepEd currently has no formal training program to educate parents on how to teach their children at home.
“So, we are more than willing to implement a program that will help parents in educating their children, particularly those who are facing difficult circumstances and those who are not so active in school meetings,” Muyot added.
To implement the bill’s objectives, Muyot said DepEd willing to cooperate with the Department of Social Welfare and Development or DSWD in creating a curriculum for parental education.
DSWD is the government agency in charge of conducting a monthly family development seminars for the beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps.
The monthly family development seminar of DSWD covers family cooperation and child rearing, health and nutrition.
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Under HB 5243, DepEd should implement the “Nanay-Teacher Parenting Program” at least once per year with the following objectives:
1) Orient parents on their essential supplementary role in the formal education of their children;
2) Train parents to become parent-teachers by exposing them to best-case practices and other information in facilitating an encouraging continuing learning at home;
3) Promote the use of positive disciplinary methods through dialogues highlighting the benefits of wholesome, constructive and encouraging modes of discipline; and
4) Provide parents with the essential lectures, modules, handouts, and other necessary materials to further the objective and policies in educating parents. (Tim Alcantara)
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