L.E.N.S.(Lifestyle, Events, News, and Society)blogs: ABS-CBN AND DEPED JOIN HANDS TO PROMOTE UNIVERSAL KINDERGARTEN

Fr. Tito and Bro. Armin

There were truths in what Robert Fulghum wrote, "All I Need To Know, I Learn In Kindergarten." Kindergarten is truly where basic education starts. There's a mighty big possibility for a child not to make it in grade school if he/she didn't have sufficient pre-school training. This is were ABS-CBN and the Department of Education team up for this. With the fund drive to encourage everyone about to donate their toys for the child, it will help the child to do big things because not all kindergartens have sufficient supply of toys. It doesn't mean you should buy toys to donate. It is something much more worth that. It requires something from yourself to give up like your favorite toy from your childhood. If you watch Toy Story 3, you'll understand. I also got to interact with the student volunteers who are currently doing on-the-job training for DepEd. These young people are fortunate to take part of the program while before school starts. This is a nationwide drive. You can donate the toys in ABS-CBN and some outlets in malls, supermarkets, etc. Below is the press release. Hopefully, people will respond to this before school year starts.

Massive toy drive on its way

ABS-CBN AND DEPED JOIN HANDS TO PROMOTE UNIVERSAL KINDERGARTEN

The ABS-CBN Integrated Public Service, headed by Fr. Tito Caluag is teaming up with the Department of Education (DepEd) for a multimedia awareness campaign on the implementation of Universal Kindergarten in all public schools nationwide starting June 2011.

Universal Kindergarten is the first phase of DepEd’s main reform agenda, “K to 12.” The program requires all public schools to give kindergarten education to five-year old students so that they are prepared to enter Grade One the following year.

Through a series of interviews, featured segments, and public service announcements on TV, radio, and online, ABS-CBN and DepEd hope to inform parents and children on the changes that are about to come in the public school curriculum.

They will also launch a nationwide toy drive that will encourage the public, especially kids, to show their love and support for other children by donating toys and other educational materials. The goal is to collect toys for the 1.9 million kindergarten students that are expected to enroll in the 38,000 schools and day care centers nationwide.

“Given this big number of expected kindergarten students, we are more inspired to achieve milestones in the pilot implementation of the universal kindergarten program. That is why, once again, we ask for everyone’s support by donating any educational material that can help us make early schooling more meaningful.” Luistro noted.

To formalize the partnership, ABS-CBN Integrated Public Service Head Fr. Tito Caluag and DepEd secretary Bro. Armin Luistro signed a memorandum of agreement for this project Monday (May 9) at Chef Jessie in Rockwell Center. Also there to show his support for the project is actor Xian Lim, who will play a big role in the campaign as one of its spokespersons.

He was supposed to be joined by the late teen actor AJ Perez, who already committed to the project before his untimely death.

Caluag said through the project, they will be able to instill the value of generosity to children and groom them into becoming advocates of charity and creative learning.

“This our way of taking part in nation-building. By nurturing young minds by instilling the spirit of giving , we will be able to develop good and responsible citizens, ” he said.

The ABS-CBN established Integrated Public Service to centralize all the public service efforts of its different divisions and subsidiaries including the News and Current Affairs division, DZMM and the ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.