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THE EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT (ECD) PROGRAM OF THE DEPARTMENT OF

EDUCATION IN THE DIVISION

OF ILOILO

NORBERTO M. CABAOBAO

Public Schools District Supervisor

District of Estancia

ABSTRACT

The study was descriptive research conducted to find out the effectiveness of the Early Childhood Development Program of the Department of Education in the Division of Iloilo. Specifically, it sought to answer the following questions. (1) What is the profile and performance of the teachers involved in the ECD program? (2) What is the profile of the parents involved in the ECD project/program? (3) To what extent has the Department of Education undertaken the required activities of the ECD program in the Division of Iloilo? (4) How adequate is the support system extended to the implementer of the ECD program in terms of physical and instructional facilities? (5) What is the level of performance of pupils in central and non-central schools involved in the ECD program? (6) Is there a difference in the achievement of pupils in central and non-central schools? (7) what is the level of parents’ participation in the ECD program? (8) To what extent is the participation of the LGU in the ECD program? (9) what are the school-based interventions to the ECD program of the Department of Education in the Division of Iloilo? (10) What are the problems encountered in the implementation of the ECD program?

The subjects covered 3,466 Grade 1 pupils, 84 Grade 1 teachers from central and non-central schools, 3,287 parents, and 350 LGU personnel from MSWD and DOH involved in the program.

Three sets of questionnaires were used in this study: one set each for grade 1 teachers, the parents, and the local government unit personnel. They were constructed and validated, especially for the present study.

The gathered data were tabulated, computed, analyzed, and interpreted. Frequency count, mean, and rank were employed. A significant difference was determined by employing the t-test. The 0.5 level significance was used in the interpretation of the inferential statistics.

The study revealed that the majority of the Grade 1 teachers teaching in the ECD program, both in the central and non-central schools, were occupying Teacher III positions, were baccalaureate degree holders with master units, had attended local, division, and regional seminars, and had outstanding performance ratings. The teachers in the central and non-central schools were more experienced and received higher salaries than teachers in the non-central schools. All the teachers received the same benefits.

The respondents’ fathers were mostly farmers, while their mothers were mostly housewives. Most of both parents have attended the high school and college level. The parents' income was generally low, had semi-permanent and temporary houses, had five members in the family, were residing both in the town proper and barangays which were less than a kilometer away from the school, and whose children just walked to school.

The activities of the ECD program were “fully undertaken” in the central schools but only “undertaken” in the non-central schools. The LGUs have provided the ECD program with very adequate facilities.

The most learned subject was Filipino and the least learned was Mathematics. Pupils’ performance by district was fair. Central school pupils had a better performance than those in the non-central schools. Duncans’ test revealed that the performance of pupils in the second and fourth districts was significantly higher than those in the other districts.

Of the six school-based interventions provided to the ECD program, training of teachers, preschool services, and community child care were very adequately provided, while nutrition supplementation was only moderately provided. Generally, the interventions were adequately provided.

Problems identified in the implementation of the ECD program were insufficiency of funds, lack of textbooks, and lack of proper for Grade I teachers.

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