Security Bank Foundation launches teachers’ training program to aid COVID-19 education gaps

The following is a press release from the Security Bank Foundation.

To help mitigate the long-lasting impact brought about by COVID-19 to the education system, Security Bank Foundation, Inc. (SBFI), the social development arm of Security Bank Corporation, launched a 3-year training program for teachers this August 22, 2023. Sixty elementary English and Mathematics teachers from SBFI’S classroom beneficiary schools nationwide attended the Year One in-person training program at Ateneo de Iloilo from August 22 to 24, 2023.

“Academics say that the learning loss from the pandemic resulted in all students being ‘minus two’ from their current grade levels. To address this, SBFI took on a three-year long term structured approach to improve teachers’ expertise,” said Grace Ayson, Security Bank assistant corporate secretary and Security Bank Foundation training programs adviser.

Entitled “Mentoring Future Leaders for Nation Building,” the program was created to improve the teachers’ pedagogy to develop students’ 21st century skills, create effective lessons for struggling and advanced learners, develop effective assessments, and engage stakeholders to improve student performance.

SBFI and its partner, Ateneo de Manila University, designed the program to be sustainable by creating a three-year roadmap that targets the Self in Year One, the School in Year Two, and the Community in Year Three. Teachers are expected to produce model lesson plans and learning improvement programs throughout the three years. After their training, participants will have the opportunity to be mentors of other teachers from other schools as a part of professional fellowship.

“The new teaching methodologies aimed at improving 21st century skills helped us in becoming better educators. It also ignited our passion as educators to share our learnings to our fellow teachers,” said Jane Angeli Gavasan, an English teacher from Catalunan Pequeño Elementary School, Davao City.

“We want the beneficiaries of Security Bank’s classroom donation program to have teachers equipped with meaningful training in content and pedagogy before they return to their teaching stations prior to the start of classes,” said Carmela Oracion, managing director of the Ateneo Center for Educational Development.

To learn more about Security Bank Foundation’s projects and how you can contribute, visit www.securitybank.com/foundation. – Rappler.com