UNICEF Phillipines: Ber Gei's story

Ber Gei’s story EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT

Schools for Asia

Philippines

EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT

Tribal Village

2 UNICEF Philippines

In the Philippines many children start school late, primarily because despite being of school age they are considered ‘too young’—not ready—to go to school. As a result, children aged five to seven make up the majority of pre-primary and primary school age children who are not in school. On the other hand, young children who do go to school do not always fare well: sixty-two per cent of all primary school drop outs occur in grades one and two. Achieving universal primary education in the Philippines requires getting children into school on time and ensuring that they stay there—and succeed.

UNICEF recognizes that the key to both is improved school readiness.

The period from ages three to five is crucial in the lives of children.

It is a time of rapid cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional and motor development. What happens—or does not happen—during this time influences the way they grow and develop, and paves the way for future school success.

Quality Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) programmes not only give children a foundation in basic literacy and numeracy, they teach them the all-important ‘soft’ skills that translate directly into school success, including the ability to pay attention and focus, socialize and work as part of a group, follow a routine, share, negotiate and resolve conflicts. This means children arrive in elementary school eager and ready to learn. And those who start school ahead stay ahead. Studies show that they do better in primary, and even secondary school, and are far less likely to repeat a grade or drop out.

And yet many Filipino children still miss out on this opportunity.

Despite laws in support of early childhood education, access to early learning currently remains at just 19 per cent for three and four-yearolds and 66 per cent for five-year-olds. The situation is worse for vulnerable children in poor communities.

In the following pages you will meet three-year-old Ber Gei. She and her family live in a small, remote village located in the mountainous interior of the island of Mindanao. The island is among the poorest in the Philippines and Marilog district, where Ber Gei lives, is among the most remote and disadvantaged districts on the island. Like most in the district, Ber Gei and her family are indigenous people or ‘lumads’. And like the majority of indigenous people throughout the world, they are isolated and poor, living on the fringes of mainstream society with only limited access to basic services, including education.

In 2008, with UNICEF support, Tribal Village opened a home-based ECCD facility aimed at giving children like Ber Gei the foundation she needs to succeed in school.

It is not a panacea: it won’t end her family’s poverty or shorten the distance she will have to walk to school, but it will give her the right start: an equitable platform for learning that will ultimately benefit not only Ber Gei, but also her family, her community and the country as a whole.

Schools for the Philippines Ber Gei’s story 3

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Ber Gei is three years old. She lives in Tribal Village, which has a population of just 75 people, and is located several hours north of Davao City on the island of Mindanao. Ber Gei lives with her mother, father, three older sisters and baby brother. Her family are ‘Lumads’— indigenous people—from the Matigsalog tribe. Her father’s name is Rico. He is a farmer and labourer. Her mother’s name is Liza. She takes care of the children and works several days a week as a labourer on a nearby squash plantation. Several weeks ago Ber Gei started attending the UNICEF-supported home based Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) facility in her village. This is a day in her life.

Schools for the Philippines Ber Gei’s story 5

06:30 I’m 6 UNICEF Philippines

going to have a bath.

06:34 I

like to wash myself but I still need a little help.

Schools for the Philippines Ber Gei’s story 7

07:08 We

06:52 Mother

combs my hair.

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leave for my school.

07:04 My

sister Maria Donna Rose goes to another school but today she is coming to school with me and bringing my brother Rico Jr. and my sister Jelay Beam. My other sister Vea Jean already went to school.

I’m not going to school today because my mother said I have to stay home and take care of my brother. I cried when she told me. I’m worried. The teacher told us not to miss school anymore. What if she gives an assignment while I’m gone? What if when I go back she gets mad at me for being absent again? I am on the honor list for my grade. What if I get bad marks because I miss too much school?

—Maria Donna Rose Andacao, 9, Ber Gei’s sister Schools for the Philippines Ber Gei’s story 9

07:18 Mother

dries the maize...

My husband is a farmer and sometimes he works as a labourer. I am a housewife and I also work as a labourer on a nearby squash plantation. Today I have to help my husband with the harvest. I don’t have anybody to watch the baby, Rico Jr, who is just one, so I told my oldest, Maria Donna Rose, to stay home from school to take care of him. She is nine-years old and in the third grade. I also told the other two, Vea Jean, who is in the second grade and Jelay Beam who is in kindergarten to stay home today because this morning we don’t have enough food to give them for the long journey (four km one way) to school, and back. They would be hungry and not be able to concentrate. Vea Jean refused and went to school anyway. I know it’s important for them to go to school every day, but right now it’s not possible because of our family’s economic crisis. My husband and I strive to do better but we simply cannot work any harder.

—Liza Andacao, Ber Gei’s mother 10 UNICEF Philippines

07:25 ...and

leaves for the field.

Schools for the Philippines Ber Gei’s story 11

WELCOME TO TRIBAL VILLAGE’S HOME BASED ECCD CENTRE

How does UNICEF help?

Between 2008 and 2011 UNICEF has constructed and rehabilitated 131 Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) facilities most as part of its emergency response in its focus areas.

In addition, 1,687 ECCD centres were provided with ECCD play and learning packages. These facilities along with improved pedagogy by trained day care teachers have prepared about 50,000 vulnerable children to enter elementary school, and more important, have provided the evidence based case for the scaling up of UNICEF’s ECCD models and innovations beyond these vulnerable areas to the country as a whole.

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Before this centre opened in 2008 children were just roaming around all day and doing nothing. When we heard about an ECCD facility that opened in a village two kilometres away, some of us sent our children.

But it was too far away, I thought it would be a good idea to open a similar facility in our village, so I called a meeting with the parents and raised the idea with the local authorities. Everybody liked it. I put my daughter Marcelita forward as the first teacher, and all of the parents agreed. They were glad their children would have the opportunity to learn right here in the village.

It didn’t take long for the parents to see improvements in those who attended pre-school. The children helped their parents and showed respect to their elders. They could identify letters and numbers. They were less shy and interacted better with other children. We were glad for these changes. We knew they would help our children do better when they went to school.

Before the ECCD programme started here just ten children from this village went on to elementary school and six of them dropped out.

Currently 20 children are going to school every day—and they are doing better than their predecessors because now they have the foundation they need to learn and the encouragement of their parents.

—Hipolito Casingyan, Tribal leader (right, in red)

How does UNICEF help?

For many years, UNICEF has been the

MEET MISS JARIEL

driving force behind ECCD programming in the Philippines. As such, it has

I graduated from high school in Davao City. After I got married I settled here with my husband who is a farmer. I had always dreamed of being a teacher, but I never had any training or any plan to teach.

I had only been here a couple of weeks when the previous ECCD Worker, Marcelita, said she was moving away and asked if I’d like the job. I said yes. I observed her in class for five days and then I was on my own. The first day I was alone it was really hard. The children were fighting. They were hard to teach. They were stubborn. I didn’t know what to do with them. I didn’t know how to run the activities.

I was so relieved when I was asked to attend an ECCD training session. After that first training I felt so much better! I know I still have a lot to learn about how to better handle the sessions and how to bring more variety into the activities and make them more stimulating. But it feels so good to know I can do this—and to know that because I am here doing this work all of the children in this tribe will be ready to go to school and learn. This is the starting point for their education, which is what will lift them out of poverty.

—Jariel Casingyan, ECCD Worker

supported the government in developing policies, standards and tools to improve access to and the quality of ECCD programmes nationwide. It has also championed innovations that have reached the most vulnerable and disadvantaged young children. UNICEF supported the development of day care service, home-based ECCD and the kindergarten curricula. It has also developed prototype teaching and learning materials for these programmes and created the training programmes that have been given to tens of thousands ECCD workers and their supervisors nationwide. UNICEF has also supported the development of child development assessment tools and guides such as the Philippine ECCD checklist and the school readiness assessment.

Schools for the Philippines Ber Gei’s story 15

There are 23 children enrolled in this daycare. Some days I have only ten or twelve in class, other days, like today, there are far more, including a couple of girls from the elementary school and some babies. Most people here earn only 1000 pesos (US $24) or less in a month, and it is not regular income. They send their children here because the family doesn’t have food or because they need someone to watch the baby. As a teacher this isn’t a problem for me, but it is hard to manage the class when the young ones keep crying because they’re hungry.

—Jariel Casingyan, ECCD Worker

How does UNICEF help?

An argument often used in favor of ECCD programmes is that they allow older siblings—usually girls—who would otherwise have to stay home to watch their younger siblings, to go to school. While this is true, children with siblings who are too young for ECCD are still at risk: the two and under age group, which is also extremely important from a child development perspective, is generally neglected by ECCD services. UNICEF is working to help government develop strong programs catering to these groups of children and their parents by building on existing programs such as home-based ECCD and parent education programs.

07:31

Everybody else sings and dances.

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“Once or twice a week one of Liza and Rico’s oldest daughters will be here with the baby,” says Jariel. “Other times, when the family doesn’t have any food, all of them are here.”

Schools for the Philippines Ber Gei’s story 17

07:56

We make music...

08:20

...play with blocks and dolls...

How does UNICEF help?

The State of the Art Review of Day Care Service in the Philippines 2010 notes that among the top three critical areas for improvement are the need for more learning materials, improvement of structure and facilities, and training on managing children’s behavior. UNICEF proactively advocates to national and local government officials to fulfill their mandate and build day care centers and kindergartens. In exceptional cases, such as conflict- and disaster-affected or very poor communities where the financial situation is desperate and critical, UNICEF helps build centers and pre-schools, equips them with childfriendly water and sanitation facilities and furniture and ensures they have adequate teaching-learning materials, manipulative toys, musical instruments, emergency kits, eating and drinking utensils, toothbrushes, soap and water containers for promoting hygiene. Materials and supplies are selected with a view towards developing skills for thinking, speaking, feeling and interacting with others. They include puzzles and games, blocks, dolls, boxes to stack and sort, storybooks, art supplies and musical instruments.

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08:49

...and color.

Schools for the Philippines Ber Gei’s story 19

“The children come because it is fun, because their parents want them to get a good start in their education and because of the government feeding programme,� says Jariel.

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I am supposed to teach enriched parents effectiveness seminars every month, but I don’t because it is hard to get the parents to participate.

I had some training on this, but I think I need more. Recently I had to do something for national nutrition month. So many of the children are coming to school these days with runny noses, so I called a meeting with parents to discuss good nutrition. I don’t feel very confident teaching them. Almost all of then are older than me—and they are also my relatives.

09:40 We

say a prayer then we get to eat.

—Jariel Casingyan, ECCD Worker

How does UNICEF help?

Getting children into school and ensuring they stay there requires addressing all of the potential barriers to a child’s education. All UNICEF-supported ECCD programmes take an integrated approach—ensuring that children’s health, nutrition and psycho-social wellbeing are taken care of. This is particularly important in vulnerable communities like Tribal Village, where the nearest clinic is four km away and the single doctor there serves 47,000 people. By teaching parents about hygiene, nutrition and how to recognize and prevent common illnesses, ECCD workers help to educate parents. At certain points in the year ECCD programmes bring in Barangay (village) health and nutrition workers to weigh the children, give them vitamin A and to demonstrate the preparation of healthy food. A dentist visits each ECCD programme once a year to examine the children’s teeth and give parents information on cleaning their children’s teeth. In addition, Barangay leaders are trained to protect children and to report cases of child abuse and exploitation. In cases when children are not registered at birth, ECCD workers facilitate and help out in the late registration of children to ensure that they obtain birth certificates prior to entering primary school.

Schools for the Philippines Ber Gei’s story 21

“We don’t have any books in our language,” says Jariel. “All of the books are in Filipino and English. I translate them to the children as I read.”

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10:53 It’s

story time.

How does UNICEF help?

Young children learn best in the same

We feel good about sending Ber Gei to daycare. She plays and reads and learns about letters and numbers. She gets to learn and experience much more than she would if she just stayed home. It is preparing her to go to school.

We Lumads are not very educated. I dream that one day all of my children will finish their schooling and improve their lives. That is one reason we really work hard: so they can finish their education.

With an education, you have the chance to achieve your dreams.

language they use at home. UNICEF is working to enhance learning effectiveness in the early grades through the use of the mother tongue as the language of learning. UNICEF-supported Training programmes emphasize teaching-learning practices to promote it and in some areas, UNICEF supports the development of mother-tongue based learning materials.

—Rico Andacao, Ber Gei’s father Schools for the Philippines Ber Gei’s story 23

11:38 More 24 UNICEF Philippines

singing and dancing...

11:39 ...how

does this one go again?

How does UNICEF help?

Today, as a result of advocacy by UNICEF and its partners, early childhood education is part of the Philippines’ national education plan. The government has mandated universal and mandatory kindergarten for five year olds by 2015 and is working to increase access to early childhood education for three and four year olds to 70 per cent by 2016. Some schools, including the elementary school Ber Gei’s sisters attend, already require students to have pre-school experience before entering grade one. It is hoped that, as a result, more children will go on to complete the full course of primary schooling.

“We don’t eat rice very often,” says Liza. “This is a real treat.

Most of the time we eat root crops—-with or without frogs.”

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13:14 I

like to feed my brother.

Schools for the Philippines Ber Gei’s story 27

14:08 It’s

hot. I’m having another bath.

I teach the children arts and crafts, games and storytelling. I also teach them how to dress themselves, brush their teeth, wash their hands and use the comfort room (toilet). Not so long ago the ‘comfort room’ was everywhere. In 2010 the village got two actual comfort rooms. Now family practices are changing. The young children are still not good at using them, but I’m working on it.

Cleanliness and good grooming are two other practices the ECCD has influenced. Parents used to leave their children without any clothes on or in dirty clothes. Now they make sure their children have a bath and change their clothes every day.

—Jariel Casingyan, ECCD Worker 28 UNICEF Philippines

Schools for the Philippines Ber Gei’s story 29

15:32 Mother 30 UNICEF Philippines

and I sing songs.

Rico only got to finish grade 6. I finished two years of high school. I was working as a maid and going to school when my father made me stop and get married. Neither of us wanted to get married, but there was a quarrel and my father prevailed.

Over the years we have come to love each other. And because of our experience, if there is one thing we agree on, it is education. We dream that all of our children will become teachers. And sending them to the daycare centre is part of that dream—no, the key to that dream—the starting point, so that when they reach formal education it is easy for them to learn and eventually to go on to attend higher education.

—Liza Andacao, Ber Gei’s mother Schools for the Philippines Ber Gei’s story 31

16:48 When 32 UNICEF Philippines

the other children get home from school they play games.

16:51 I

want to play too.

Schools for the Philippines Ber Gei’s story 33

16:53 My 34 UNICEF Philippines

sisters take me with them.

16:55 Somebody

pushed me.

17:10 ...and

17:08 The

Tribal Leader plays music...

36 UNICEF Philippines

my mother joins him.

“We haven’t yet brought tribal instruments like the kuglong into the ECCD centre” says Tribal Leader Hipolito Casingyan, “but it seems like a good idea. Why not try it?”

Schools for the Philippines Ber Gei’s story 37

17:20 My 38 UNICEF Philippines

father is home.

17:47 He

cooks dinner.

Schools for the Philippines Ber Gei’s story 39

17:55 We

eat...

The day to day situation for people here has improved a lot due to the presence of education in our area—including this day care centre.

We have learned how to take better care of our children and now they are prepared to go to school.

But education is also important for the long term. The Matigsalog who get an education will transfer what they learn to the younger generations and in time this will help all of us to improve our living conditions. Maybe in the future many of us will be educated and we will do high paid jobs where we just sit there all day reading and writing. —Hipolito Casingyan, Tribal Leader 40 UNICEF Philippines

18:14 ...and

then sing songs.

Schools for the Philippines Ber Gei’s story 41

All children deserve the opportunity to enter elementary school on time and ready to learn.

UNICEF is working with the government, local education authorities and NGOs to provide young children throughout the Philippines with quality pre-school programmes that give them a good start in life.

ABOUT UNICEF UNICEF’s goal is to make a difference for all children, everywhere, all the time.

All children have rights that guarantee them what they need to survive, grow, participate and fulfill their potential. Yet every day these rights are denied. Millions of children die from preventable diseases. Millions more don’t go to school, or don’t have food, shelter and clean water. Children suffer from violence, abuse and discrimination. This is wrong.

UNICEF works globally to transform children’s lives by protecting and promoting their rights. Their fight for child survival and development takes place every day in remote villages and in bustling cities, in peaceful areas and in regions destroyed by war, in places reachable by train or car and in terrain passable only by camel or donkey.

Their achievements are won school by school, child by child, vaccine by vaccine, mosquito net by mosquito net. It is a struggle in which success is measured by what doesn't happen—by what is prevented.

UNICEF will continue this fight—to make the difference for all children, everywhere, all the time.

To fund all of its work UNICEF relies entirely on voluntary donations from individuals, governments, institutions and corporations. We receive no money from the UN budget.

UNICEF Philippines

31st Floor Yuchengco Tower, RCBC Plaza 6819 Ayala Avenue 1200 Makati City PHILIPPINES Tel : + (632) 901-0166 Fax: + (632) 729-4524

Following the success of Schools for Africa, in January 2012 UNICEF launched the Schools for Asia initiative:

www.unicef.org/philippines

Photography, writing and design: Kelley Lynch

www.supportunicef.org/schoolsforasia