DA, DepEd strengthen agri-fishery education

The Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Education (DepEd) will jointly explore ways to improve the delivery of agriculture and fishery courses in 126 agri-fishery technical vocational schools. This collaboration aims to further strengthen DepEd’s current offerings and provide students more options to earn a living when they graduate.
In a previously signed memorandum of understanding between Education Secretary Br. Armin A. Luistro FSC and Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, the two parties have agreed to co-share resources so that tech-voc schools can better serve students who choose agriculture and fishery as their preferred livelihood.
Luistro said the MOU was aligned with the K to 12 Basic Education Program in which one of the objectives was to develop the skills of students in technical and vocational education. “Dapat baguhin natin ang imahe ng agri-fishery schools. Dapat alam natin kung saan dadalhin ang ating curriculum, kung paano ito magiging attractive sa mga mag-aaral. Dapat nakatutok sa local development.” said Luistro.
As agreed, the DA will extend technical assistance and know-how by providing resource persons in training tech-voc teachers in agriculture and fishery education.
DA will likewise provide seedlings, fingerlings, fertilizer and other production inputs for the development of demonstration farms, nurseries and breeding stations.
The agriculture department has also agreed to offer scholarship grants to deserving graduating high school students as well as master’s degree programs for tech-voc teachers and officials on agriculture specific and fishery-oriented courses in University of the Philippines Los Baños, Mindanao State University and Central Luzon State University, among others.
The MOU will be effective for two years and subject to renewal based on the positive outcome of the joint agreement.
DepEd’s Strengthened Technical Vocational Education Program aims to equip high school graduates with TESDA-certifiable tech-voc skills that would allow them to venture into self-starting businesses. It is a priority program of the Aquino government to better link schooling to community and local industry needs and therefore address unemployment and job mismatch. [PNA]