3 state agencies to integrate climate change topic in education curriculum

MANILA, Philippines - To raise awareness on climate change, the Presidential Task Force on Climate Change (PTFCC), Department of Education (DepEd) and the National Power Corp. (Napocor) recently signed a memorandum of understanding aiming to integrate a subject or topic in climate change in the school curriculum. The DepEd and PTFCC will be in charge of disseminating information on climate change, beginning with the youth. Napocor will fund the project as well as educate people on climate change issues and concerns through its Watershed Management Department. The agreement covers curriculum development, which targets the inclusion of the topic of climate change in the school curriculum for elementary and high school students as well as in informal education, preferably in Sibika (Social Science) and Science. Training and capability-building through teaching seminars and workshops on climate change before the start of every school year for various school levels will also be made along with monitoring, research and evaluation for a regular update, and documentation. It will also include development of climate change instructional materials through the conduct of information campaign through sensitivity training and consciousness-raising activities directed at the education community. Other activities include annual assessment and evaluation of short- and long-term effects of the inclusion of climate change in the curriculum and identification of problems, issues and solutions in its implementation; conduct of regional and national conferences on the teaching of climate change; development and formulation of resource base information and communications technology portal for students and teachers on climate change; and the preparation and production of instructional materials including audiovisual and other teaching and learning aids for both formal and non-formal education. To ensure effective promotion, the agencies are planning to coordinate with Congress and the Executive for institutionalization, as well as linkages with local and international nongovernment organizations and civil society organizations. Education Secretary Jesli A. Lapus said in a telephone interview that the project may be introduced in the 2008-2009 school year starting in June. The budget for the project is still for discussion and the curriculum development will take six months, Napocor corporate communications head Dennis S. Gana said in a text message. "The agreement is one of the instruments that reflects the government’s commitment to uphold, promote and respect the right of each Filipino to be made aware of climate change and its impact on the environment, specifically of extreme weather events, and to guarantee the safety of communities especially those living in disaster-prone areas," read Napocor’s press statement of the project. The agreement was inked on March 31 by PTFCC Chairman and Energy Secretary Angelo T. Reyes, Mr. Lapus, and Napocor represented by Silvano C. Zanoria, senior vice-president.- A. K. K. Austria, BusinessWorld