Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones drew praises from her fellow education ministers after presenting two key programs of the Department of Education (DepEd) — the Alternative Learning System (ALS) and the Last Mile Schools Program — during a plenary session at the Education World Forum 2022 last May 22 to 25.
“I am glad that during my presentation, when I showed two videos about the ALS and Last Mile Schools program, the majority of the participants in the forum were moved and our efforts surely captured their hearts,” Secretary Briones said.
“During the course of my tenure as the Secretary of Education, we made sure that these programs would also address education gaps, most especially in far-flung areas where there are difficulty in access to quality basic education,” she added.
Secretary Briones was joined by Director of Education and Skills OECD Andreas Schleicher, Minister of Education and Vocational Training of Djibouti Moustapha Mohamed Mahamoud, and Education Outcomes Fund CEO Dr. Amel Karboul during the EWF plenary.
In addition, Sec. Briones highlighted the need for specialized programs if world leaders and ministers want to accelerate addressing equity gaps and emphasized the importance of budgetary support and precise targeting for equity programs to be effective.
Briones also corrected misconceptions about the Philippines during the sessions.
With the theme “Education: Building Forward Together Stronger, Bolder, Better”, education ministers from different parts of the world gathered to share experiences and draw lessons from initiatives, especially during the challenging period of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Different education chiefs also discussed issues and shared perspectives on COVID-19 response, equity, technology, teaching and learning, learning recovery, and building forward into the future through nine plenary sessions complemented by six ministerial exchanges.
The event is participated by 112 ministers from 107 countries, deputy ministers, other high officials and other education experts worldwide.
Secretary Briones was also joined by Secretary Isidro S. Lapeña of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) in the Philippine Delegation.
