Efforts to reduce high school dropouts have been a success in at least four provinces, the Department of Education (DepEd) said.
An unprecedented zero dropouts have been reported in Zamboanga Sibugay, Cotabato, Southern Leyte, and Romblon for school years 2009-2011, new data released by the Deped said.
The province of Masbate was not far behind, with its record of only 0.95 percent dropout, it added.
The reported success in these four regions was part of the DepEd’s intensified efforts through its Drop Out Reduction Program (DORP), DepEd Secretary Mona Valisno said.
"We have experienced remarkable success in reducing the drop out rate in many high schools because of our effective intervention programs through DORP," she added.
The program uses various approaches to reduce, if not totally eradicate, the problem of dropouts by addressing the problems that prevent students from completing their elementary and high school education.
According to her, many students cannot report to class regularly because of various reasons such as work, financial problems, physical disabilities, family and health issues, among others.
"DORP is a valuable tool for the Philippines to enable it to meet the United Nations goal of Education for All (EFA) by 2015," she said.
Valisno stressed that “DepEd has to work extra hard to be able to reach and bring back to school some 5 million more school-age children who are out of school and not only the drop-outs."
DepEd's target is to cut drop out rate in Philippine public schools to 7.13 percent for School Year 2009-2010.
This is far lower than the national dropout rate of 12.51 percent when DORP started in 2005-2006. The 2010 target reflects a consistent decline from the 8.35 percent drop out in SY 2006-2007 and 7.45 percent in 2007-2008.
For her part, Director Lolita Andrada of DepEd's Bureau of Secondary Education said DORP has several programs that rescue students at risk of dropping out (SARDO), from discontinuing their schooling and being considered a school failure.
"We have to come up with innovative measures to bring back to school those at the brink of dropping out and those students in difficult circumstances," Andrada stressed.
The Open High School Program (OHSP) is a distance education program that allows working students or previously out-of-school-youth (OSY) to continue studying using a specialized module.
The Effective Alternative Secondary Education (EASE) provides an innovative learning tool that allows students to pursue lessons outside school using modules.
Some children may have to be temporarily absent from class because of justifiable reasons such as natural calamity or an illness.
The Schools Initiated Interventions (SII) is the most effective help for SARDOs since the school itself fits the kind of help a student needs according to his unique circumstances.
The SII has enabled schools to determine, based on interview, specific problems of students or the real causes for dropping out.
"We assess the problem of students based on the result of FICS — Family, Individual, Community, or School assessment. Not all those who are dropping out are poor students. Rich students may also be vulnerable," said Prudencia Martinez-Sanoy, DepEd education program specialist and DORP coordinator.
Through this, some schools found out that certain students were undergoing difficult situation such as going through pregnancy or experiencing abuse from family members.
A total of 1,176 public high schools now have Drop Out Reduction Program. This number represents 17.68 percent out of the total of 6,650 high schools nationwide.
DORP was first tried out under the Secondary Education Development and Improvement Project (SEDIP) implemented in 2000-2006 which was co-financed by the Asian Development Bank. - LBG, RJAB Jr
