DepEd urges public to donate books, toys to kinder students

Education Secretary Bro. Armin Luistro has urged the public to donate books, educational toys and other school supplies to children entering kindergarten in June this year. According to a statement of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA), Luistro said the campaign aims to help over 1.9 million kinder students who are part of Department of Education’s K to 12 (K-12) program. The K-12 requires children to go through pre-school before entering Grade 1. Luistro said the donation drive is a way of caring for less-fortunate children. “If all of us pitch in for this donation drive, we could transform a typical kindergarten classroom into a laboratory that can better prepare our young learners to the real world of formal schooling and provide them greater chances to complete their education," Luistro said. “This is about parting away with something that is most special and personal to you and allowing other kids to experience the same joy with the toy you will give," Luistro added. The K-12 education system is one of President Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III's proposed education reforms. The program covers seven years of grade school and five years of high school. It also supports the government's "Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 2," which aims to provide universal primary education for all. - VVP, GMA News