BRIDGING LEARNING GAPS WITH 'HIGH TOUCH, HIGH TECH' IN PH

DepEd, Ayala Foundation, and partners boost math scores in public elementary schools through CENTEX Digital Education

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Every October, we celebrate National Teachers’ Month to recognize the vital role educators play in shaping futures. A recent pilot of Ayala Foundation’s CENTEX Digital Education in public elementary schools in San Marcelino, Zambales demonstrates that with the right support, teachers can help most, if not all, young Filipino learners perform at grade level or better.

The local government of San Marcelino, Department of Education Zambales, ACEN subsidiary Sta. Cruz Solar Energy Inc., Huawei, the Philanthropy Asia Alliance, and the Education Development Center are all working in partnership with Ayala Foundation to implement a program called CENTEX Digital Education, which provides intensive teacher upskilling, quality digital education resources, and technical and evaluation expertise. Collaborations such as these demonstrate how local and international partners can work together for successful long-term education reform.

CENTEX Digital Education, the Philippine version of the High Touch, High Tech global education movement, not only gives teachers new tools, but builds on new ways of teaching. The initiative pairs intensive teacher training (High Touch) with Khan Academy Philippines, an adaptive, digital learning platform that has been tailored to the official DepEd curriculum (High Tech). The program equips classrooms with the tools and strategies to make instruction individualized, data-driven, and more engaging.

A pilot in San Marcelino, Zambales included mathematics instruction in nine schools, or half of the public elementary schools in the municipality, covering more than 1,600 learners in Grades 4 to 6. Teachers received training on differentiated instruction, project-based learning, and how to interpret student performance data in real time. Classrooms were outfitted with tablets and Starlink-powered internet to ensure uninterrupted connectivity, even in remote areas.