Local school funds help fuel Shaine’s dream
A story from Gapan, Nueva Ecija
I have long wanted to be an accountant to help me have my own business. I also want my mother to come home.
Shaine, 15 years old from Gapan East Integrated School, is slowly but surely reaching her dreams, thanks to teachers and community members coming together to support her.
A Junior High Schooler, Shaine hopes to become an accountant in the future. She is inspired by the high scores she received in Math and would really like to have her own business in the future. “Matagal ko na po’ng gustong maging accountant at magkaroon ng sarili kong maliit na negosyo,” said Shaine. “Gusto ko na rin po na makauwi na si nanay.” [“I have long wanted to be an accountant to help me have my own business. I also want my mother to come home.”]
Shaine’s mother works as a domestic helper abroad and had been away since Shaine was 2 years old. Her mother had not been home since, but they maintain contact daily. Shaine and her siblings, an older brother, and a younger sister, are taken care of by Shaine’s grandmother, Amelia, who has stood as her guardian.
Dynamic teaching approaches
Since 2021, Gapan East Integrated School in Gapan, Nueva Ecija, a fourth-class city north of Manila, embarked on two projects focusing on Mathematics to inspire its students to develop a love for numbers. Project All Numerates (PAN) aimed to improve the numeracy skills of all learners across grade levels and improve learning outcomes in Mathematics. Project EASTmartNumeracy, on the other hand, focused on promoting dynamic and strategic approaches to learning numeracy skills. This initiative provides targeted support and resources designed to enhance learners' mathematical understanding and practical application of math concepts.
By fostering a more engaging, interactive learning environment, these school projects equip students with essential skills, encouraging critical thinking and problem-solving, which are vital for academic success and real-world applications. Practical applications include games, which the students enjoy, the use of flashcards, different multimedia platforms, and contests. Innovations such as these are usually funded and made possible through the school’s Special Education Fund, or SEF, that comes from the local government unit and disbursed through the local chief executive and/or the local school board.
Freeing up the more flexible SEF funds from basic expenses can potentially produce better learning outcomes because, then, SEF can be used for highly effective teaching and learning activities.
Maximizing education resources
A UNICEF study revealed that schools with more financial resources do not necessarily produce learners with better and higher grades. An upcoming study called “Local Financing and Learning Outcomes in the Philippines: A Special Education Fund (SEF) study” was commissioned by UNICEF and the Department of Education to investigate the effect of education resources that are within the direct influence of policy and decision makers in the short to medium-term. The study focused on financing for primary and secondary public school maintenance and operations. It is only one of many studies being commissioned by UNICEF Philippines to contribute to the body of work on children’s rights in the Philippines.
“We have seen that increasing schools' Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) will allow SEF to be more effective. SEF is currently seen as augmentation to existing school budgets during the school improvement plan cycle. However, freeing up the more flexible SEF funds from basic expenses can potentially produce better learning outcomes because, then, SEF can be used for highly effective teaching and learning activities,” says Akihiro Fushimi, UNICEF Chief of Education.
For Shaine, her bright future lies not only on her own talent, innate intelligence, skills, and commitment. She also looks to her community—her teachers, classmates, and family—who remain unflinching in their support for her and her peers.
