Crises are inevitable and change is the only constant in the world; this is why it is up to us to turn every challenge into opportunities to grow and become better.
Throughout Rex Education’s 70 years in the education industry, one of its biggest observations is how much our way of life and learning is affected by rapid technological advances and developments in the economic, social, and political landscapes. Pandemics and natural disasters will come and go, and these will affect how and what students learn.
In response to the changes and challenges of the 21st century, Rex Education realized that education is an important key to make sure today’s children are prepared for the multitude of eventualities of the future. Education should be future-proof, always looking at the horizon and developing today’s students into tomorrow’s leaders. Education should be resilient and agile, always be geared towards the needs, capabilities, resources, and well-being of its learners.
“It is no longer enough that our children are in school; they should also be healthy and safe. It is no longer enough that they are taught; they should be engaged, supported, and challenged. It is no longer enough that they become responsible adults; they should be values-oriented. It is no longer enough that we go about our traditional fair share of work; we need to consciously champion education!” said Don Timothy Buhain, chief executive officer of Rex Education.
The “Bawat Paaralan, Edukampyon” (BPE) continuum under Rex Education’s Edukampyon advocacy was born from this need to address the ever-changing needs of today’s learners. It hopes to become a new standard of best practices in learning institutions across the country, so that every school is—or strives to be—an advocate for learner-centered education.
Championing the Filipino Whole Learner
The BPE continuum is a whole school approach guide that is part of Rex Education’s Edukampyon initiative, which lobbies for the ultimate objective that every child in every school and in every community is a Filipino Whole Learner—healthy, safe, engaged, supported, challenged, and values-oriented. The goal is to build a community of duty-bearers who are dedicated to respecting, protecting, and fulfilling the right of every learner to quality education. The UNESCO International Bureau of Education defined the whole school approach as “addressing the needs of learners, staff and the wider community, not only within the curriculum, but across the whole-school and learning environment. It implies collective and collaborative action in and by a school community to improve student learning, behavior and wellbeing, and the conditions that support these.”
Inspired by this, Rex Education further streamlined and improved the concept to make the whole school approach more relevant and achievable in the current educational landscape in the country.
The BPE continuum is a product of inspiration, research, and innovation. It was developed by Rex Education in partnership with Dr. Jerome T. Buenviaje, the current Dean of the UP College of Education; and Dr. Joel C. Javiniar, also of the UP College of Education.
At every stage of development, the program was also enriched and reviewed by an esteemed panel of educators: Dr. Dina Ocampo of the UP College of Education, Rita Atienza of Ateneo Science and Art of Learning and Teaching (SALT) Institute, Dr. Filomena Dayagbil of Cebu Normal University, and Dr. Edizon Fermin of the National Teachers College.
BPE Assessments and Benchmarks
Unlike other accreditation, BPE assessments and implementation is for the purposes of identifying a school’s areas for improvement.
“BPE is not about sanctions and rewards, like other accreditation. We believe that what should drive a school to implement the BPE is the desire to improve itself and to maximize its capacities for the benefit of its students,” explained Buhain.
The BPE Continuum main document is a matrix of benchmarks along seven domains: school culture and climate; leadership and responsibility; curriculum and assessment; teaching and learning; learning environment; professional development; and school, and family, and community. These domains correspond to the areas of improvement also identified by the Department of Education (DepEd).
So while the BPE is not an accreditation system, it prepares and equips a school for any type of accreditation. It is through the BPE that the school gets to know its stakeholders and vice versa. The program also makes assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation feel like second nature to schools, leading to greater operational efficiency. BPE is also good for business, because it reduces incidences that hinder optimal learning and improves the learning environment, which leads to better enrolment and higher stakeholder confidence. But most importantly, BPE ensures that every school is committed to the task of molding students in a good learning environment, promoting learner-centered education, and upholding the global standards required in the 21st century.
Implementation across the country
Currently, a number of private and public schools across the country have already been invited to become BPE Pioneers. Rex Education is now encouraging all institutions to take part and join their rally for learner-centered education.
To know more about Edukampyon and the BPE Continuum, and to become a part of this nationwide initiative for better education, visit rex.com.ph/edukampyon or email Rex Education at community@rex.com.ph.