# data[].attributes.headline
COVID-19: Philippine schools struggle to educate poor children

# data[].attributes.subject
COVID-19: Philippine schools struggle to educate poor children

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
COVID-19: Philippine schools struggle to educate poor children

# data[].attributes.headline
BARMM students’ perseverance amid pandemic lauded

# data[].attributes.subject
BARMM students’ perseverance amid pandemic lauded

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
BARMM students' perseverance amid pandemic lauded

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
COTABATO CITY - Minister Mohagher Iqbal of the Ministry of Basic, Higher, Technical Education of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (MBHTE-BARMM) lauded Friday the region's students for their perseverance and for completing their education amid the pandemic. "I know this accomplishment is particularly significant due to various teaching and learning challenges caused by the Covid-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic.

# data[].attributes.headline
Working together to support Bangsamoro children’s education

# data[].attributes.subject
Working together to support Bangsamoro children’s education

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to strain nations across the world. Economies, jobs, education and health system remain disrupted. Vulnerable sectors, especially those in developing countries like the Philippines, are entrenched deeper in poverty. Earlier this year, it was reported that the Philippines has suffered its worst economic contraction since World War II with a Gross Domestic Product growth of negative 9.5% by end of 2020[1]. The nation's total outstanding debt also climbed 3.5% month-on-month to P10.77 trillion[2].

The dire situation has enabled strengthened alliances, as nations on the mend from the pandemic extend support to struggling nations. One friend that came to the immediate aid of the Philippines is its Southeast Asia and Indo-Pacific neighbor, Australia.

Australia and the Philippines celebrate 75 years of diplomatic ties this year since the establishment of the Australian Consulate General in Manila. Through the decades, Australia has been a long-standing partner of the Philippines to address its development challenges in the areas of basic education, training and human resource development, public financial management, health, rural and community development, governance, assistance to vulnerable groups, infrastructure, and support to the Mindanao peace and development process.
Commitment to Development, Commitment to Mindanao
Based on latest data[3], the Bangsamoro is home to some of the country's poorest and most vulnerable communities due to a confluence of man-made and natural disasters. The region continues to lag behind compared to others in the country despite the gains made under the new autonomous government. Poverty incidence among families, for instance, remain at 53.6%. Basic or simple literacy, meanwhile, stands at 86.1%, way below the country's average of 96.5%.

Australia's development cooperation program in the Philippines thus puts premium in Mindanao, particularly in the Bangsamoro: supporting basic education reform, peace and stability, and inclusive economic growth.

Some of the past initiatives include the Basic Education Assistance to Mindanao program from 2002-2009; the Philippines Response to Indigenous Peoples' and Muslim Education program (PRIME) in 2011-2014; and the Basic Education Assistance to Muslim Mindanao program (BEAM-ARMM) in 2012-2017.
Partnering with Save the Children against COVID-19
With support from Australia, Save the Children Philippines has been implementing the project Children's Access to Quality Alternative Learning Modalities in Safe Spaces in the BARMM as part of the Education Pathways to Peace in Mindanao program.

The project is a direct response to the Bangsamoro Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education's call for a more consolidated and coordinated effort in responding to the emerging needs of children on quality education. It aims to protect every child's right to learn amid the COVID-19 pandemic through alternative education and distance learning opportunities.

The COVID-19-adaptive project aims to reach 90 schools across BARMM's nine school divisions using age-appropriate, gender-sensitive, inclusive, COVID-safe, and culturally-sensitive learning modalities. Direct beneficiaries include at least 14,400 children, 4,000 adults, 450 school personnel, and 100 partner institutions. The estimated indirect beneficiaries, through offline and online information, education, and communications materials, are around 362,000 children and adults.

Operationally, the project is focusing on developing and distributing learning materials for students and teaching packages for teachers and parents, as well as improving the capacity of teachers, parents, and other caregivers on alternative learning delivery during the pandemic. To keep learners and education personnel safe from COVID-19, the project also distributed Hygiene Sustainability Kits in schools.

The project undertakes advocacy campaigns related to children's rights and protection, mental health and psychosocial support, and psychological first aid. This is in response to ground realities that the COVID-19 pandemic does not only cause health hazard to learners, but also takes a toll on their physical and mental wellbeing.

"We cannot afford to lose children in this pandemic. Aside from ensuring that they remain healthy and free from COVID-19, we must also do our best to guarantee that they remain learning in a place that is safe - physically, mentally, and psychosocially," Muyot added.

"Our work does not end when the pandemic ends. We will not stop until all children, regardless of race, religion, sex, and status in life, are educated, safe, protected, and have recovered from the blow of this pandemic. We look forward to our continued and fruitful partnership with Australia in transforming this aspiration into a reality."

(END)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
#MateshipAndBayanihan amid COVID-19: Working together to support Bangsamoro children's education - Philippines

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to strain nations across the world. Economies, jobs, education and health system remain disrupted. Vulnerable sectors, especially those in developing countries like the Philippines, are entrenched deeper in poverty. Earlier this year, it was reported that the Philippines has suffered its worst economic contraction since World War II with a Gross Domestic Product growth of negative 9.5% by end of 2020[1].

# data[].attributes.headline
Accelerating Progress to Reducing Learning Poverty During COVID-19

# data[].attributes.subject
Accelerating Progress to Reducing Learning Poverty During COVID-19

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Video: Accelerating Progress to Reducing Learning Poverty During COVID-19

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Along with partners, the World Bank is excited to support countries on their journey to reduce Learning Poverty and show how to accelerate progress in foundational learning.

# data[].attributes.headline
How poverty affects education in the Philippines

# data[].attributes.subject
How poverty affects education in the Philippines

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How poverty affects education in the Philippines - Next Step Philippines

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
1 in 6 Filipino kids will not attend school and only 7 out of 10 kids will complete elementary school, this how poverty affects education in the Philippines

# data[].attributes.headline
Enhancing educational outcomes in conflict affected Muslim Mindanao - what we learned

# data[].attributes.subject
Enhancing educational outcomes in conflict affected Muslim Mindanao - what we learned

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Enhancing educational outcomes in conflict affected Muslim Mindanao - what we learned - Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Basic Education Assistance for Muslim Mindanao - Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BEAM-ARMM) was a significant education and peace initiative jointly implemented by the Government of the Philippines through the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Australian Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

# data[].attributes.headline
Barriers to online learning in the time of COVID-19:A national survey of medical students in the Philippines

# data[].attributes.subject
Barriers to online learning in the time of COVID-19:A national survey of medical students in the Philippines

# data[].attributes.headline
For Philippines’ displaced indigenous students, COVID-19 is one of many threats

# data[].attributes.subject
For Philippines’ displaced indigenous students, COVID-19 is one of many threats

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
For Philippines' displaced indigenous students, COVID-19 is one of many threats

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
MANILA - Facing armed conflict in their hometowns in the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, dozens of indigenous students moved to Manila to continue their education. But with the new coronavirus pandemic sweeping through the country and hitting the Philippine capital particularly hard, their safe zone has become a more ominous place.

# data[].attributes.headline
Conflict and COVID-19 pandemic doubly impact education in Butig, Philippines

# data[].attributes.subject
Conflict and COVID-19 pandemic doubly impact education in Butig, Philippines

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In Mindanao, the Philippines' island in the south, protracted conflicts and constant displacement has seriously disrupted young people's access to education. The long-term repercussions of this for children and the community at large are barely reported.

Ragayan Elementary School in Butig town, Lanao del Sur province, was severely damaged in the conflict between government security forces and a non-state armed group in 2016, along with houses and farms in the two most severely affected villages (barangays) of Ragayan and Poctan.

Some 390 families (approximately 1,950 people) fled to Marawi but were displaced again after a larger armed conflict devastated this city in 2017. The conflict's impact on the remote municipality was somehow forgotten after the hostilities shifted to the Marawi.

Since 2017, over 250 pupils and their teachers endured an unsafe space in Ragayan-when the rains poured, the pupils got wet because of the bullet-riddled structure, while the teacher's chalk on the blackboards dissolved. With only two functional classrooms from a previous six, the school had to group students in shifts, with kindergartners and 1st to 3rd graders in the mornings, and 4th to 6th graders in the afternoons.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which has access to this town through the humanitarian aid it provided during the 2016 hostilities, sought in 2019 the support of the community and the ministry of education of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to help the pupils of Ragayan to have a conducive space to study.

Plans to build a temporary learning space and to build a new school structure were pegged for 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic caused delays. After the easing of some restrictions, 90 members of the community finally managed to work together to build and complete the wooden temporary learning space by the end of September through ICRC's cash-for-work project.

With this project, the students now have a conducive space where they can study while the old and bullet-riddled buildings will be demolished and rebuilt into permanent classrooms complying with the standards of the Department of Education.

Today, due to restrictions for face-to-face learning, Ragayan's pupils are unable to use the new space and are staying home to study through modules and two-way radio, with the support of their dedicated teachers and parents. But they now have something to look forward to as the ICRC plans to build the new, more permanent structure next year.

For further information, please contact:

Amer Hassan Sanggacala (in Iligan), mobile: +63 917 321 5787

Allison Lopez (in Manila), mobile: +63 908 868 6884

Follow ICRC Philippines on facebook.com/ICRCph/
LOGLIST
Location: Ragayan village, Butig town, Lanao del Sur province, Mindanao island, Philippines

Date of filming: 7-8 October 2020

Length: 07:07

On-screen credit: ICRC

Copyright: ICRC

00:01 to 00:04 - Wooden sign of Welcome to Barangay (village) Ragayan

00:05 to 00:08- BRoll of daily life in Ragayan: boys walking on the neighborhood

00:09 to 00:14- BRoll of daily life in Ragayan: woman washing her clothes in a river

00:15 to 00:20- BRoll of daily life in Ragayan: farmers tending to their field

00:21 to 00:25- BRoll of daily life in Ragayan: close-up of a mosque with prayers as audio background

00:26 to 00:29- BRoll of daily life in Ragayan: view of a wooden house and green fields

00:30 to 00:39- House riddled with holes as a result of 2016 armed conflict

00:40 to 00:44- Ragayan Elementary School, also severely damaged as a result of the fighting

00:45 to 00:49- View of student in a classroom from a hole in the school's wall

00:50 to 00:55- Visible damage to school walls

00:56 to 01:00- Teachers looking at damaged school

01:01- 01:15- Namraida Bao, Ragayan Elementary School principal

Noong nakita ko ito, na sira-sira ang school ko, nakaiyak na ako kasi yun... memorable ng papa ko at saka yung mga bata namin interest(ed) sila (na mag-aral).

When I saw the damage to the school, I cried. The school brings with it memories of my father, and the kids there are interested (to study).

01:16- 01:20- View of hole in the classroom's roof

01:21- 01:25- Pupil (young boy) sitting alone in the classroom

01:26- 01:30- Hole on blackboard

01:31- 01:56- Namraida Bao, Ragayan Elementary School principal

Nahihirapan kami kasi noon... (pauses, teary eyed) yung bata namin na hindi sila... (pauses again, trying to stop tears). Kasi nahihirapan kami yung bata namin na, kapag nagsusulat, tinu(tu)luan ng ulan at saka yung teacher namin (kapag) nagsusulat sa blackboard na nae-erase kasi yung ulan.

We had a difficult time before... Our pupils had a difficult time (because of the damage). When the rain poured, their notebooks got soaked and the teacher's writings on the blackboard get erased.

01:57- 02:10- Teacher and principal inspecting books that were damaged after being soaked in rain

02:11- 02:24- Namraida Bao, Ragayan Elementary School principal

Karamihan sa amin walang pinag-aralan. Kaya yun, sabi ko sa mga teacher ko, kailangan maggawa tayo ng paraan para tuluy-tuloy ang pagtuturo natin sa kanila.

Many of us (in the community) did not finish our education. That's why I told our teachers, we have to find a way to continue teaching our pupils despite our situation.

02:25- 02:41- Nor-jannah Abedin, Grade 6 pupil, making up her bed at home

02:42- 02:45- Nor-jannah Abedin, Grade 6 pupil

Oo (gusto ko makatapos), kasi wala naman kasing nakatapos dito eh.

Yes (I want to finish my studies) because hardly anyone finished school here.

02:46- 02:56- Nor-jannah writing on her notebook

02:57- 02:56- Nor-jannah Abedin, Grade 6 pupil

Masakit kasi na nag-aaral kami na inuulanan. Tapos, kapag nagsusulat si teacher na yung blackboard namin na nae-erase kasi kinokuhanan (tinutuluan) ng ulan.

It's pitiful because we study and get wet from the rains. When the teacher writes on the blackboard, it only gets erased by the rains pouring from the ceiling.

03:09- 03:12- ICRC team and Ragayan school staff gather in front of the newly built, wooden temporary learning space

03:13- 03:16- ICRC team interacting with a teacher

03:17- 03:20- Inspecting damage to steel foundation

03:21- 03:29- BRoll of ICRC engineer Zulficar Pangato, who leads the project to rebuild the school

03:30- 03:57- Zulficar Pangato, ICRC enginee r

Nakita namin na nagkaklase yung mga bata sa ganitong kondisyon nung eskwelahan. Sira yung mga... butas-butas yung dingding. May mga bakal sa mga major foundations niya, mga columns niya na naputol na. So we're worried na baka kung magkaroon ng isang malakas na lindol habang nagkaklase yung mga bata, baka bumigay yung structure.

We saw that the children were having classes in such conditions. The walls were riddled with holes. Some of the steel in the structure's major foundations and columns were broken. We were worried of the danger that the structure will give way, if for example an earthquake occurred and the pupils were inside.

03:58-04:25- Community members who took part in ICRC's cash-for-work project doing carpentry work on the temporary learning space (TLS)

04:26- 04:41- Farmer Ibra Macalandap, who took part in the cash-for-work project to build the TLS

Lisod ka da kapenggalebekan ami. Giya basak ami na tonganay a miyakarabong so otanon ka da ba ayam, miyatay so ayam. Da ba perak a baon kikowan, kiyapaningkamotan ami a miyaririk ami angkaya lupa.

It was hard (after the conflict) because we did not have any source of income. Our farmlands were filled with grass and ferns and our farm animals died. We did not have the money to regain what were lost. However, we worked hard together to cut the weeds, to start all over again.

04:42- 04:50- Farmer Junaid Amerol, who took part in the cash-for-work project to build the TLS

Malo miyathuy a kiyapakabawi ami. Matagal... so mga ayam ami na miyada na miyathuy go kami bu makarecover.

It took us some time to recover. Our farm animals died too, which made things more difficult.

04:51- 04:57- Side view of nearly built TLS

04:58- 05:07- Camera panning on TLS

05:08- 05:28- Camila Hadji Rauf, Grade 4 in-charge

Pati kaming mga guro ay nahihirapan kung paano malaman ng bata yung mga subjects nila kasi walang face-to-face, at saka maraming mga parents na walang pinag-aralan. Hindi nila naituturo sa mga anak nila yung ibinigay namin na mga module(s).

We teachers face challenges in teaching the subjects because there are no face-to-face classes. Many parents here did not finish their education. They are unable to teach their children the modules we provided.

05:29- 05:33- BRoll of Naima Abedin, mother of Nor-jannah (Grade 6 pupil)

05:34-05:48- Naima Abedin, Nor-jannah's mother

Oo nahihirapan kami... kareregenan kami ka siyempre kharegenan ako kiran ka ba ta ini mala e grado. Na mas mala i grado skanyan pen adi sketa gyoto a grade 6 on na aya katabangan aknon na gyoto a mangaito ron e grado.

Yes, I find it hard. I will find it hard because I don't even have a high-school diploma. My Grade 6 daughter is in a higher-grade level than I was. I can only help my children who are in lower grades.

05:49-06:02- Teacher delivering the module to a parent

06:03-06:20 - Conversation between principal and parent on two-way radio

Principal: Break break. Antonawto e mga problema san?

(Break break. What problems do you have there?)

Parent: Ah na ma'am, saken so lokes e Janisah sa Grade 6 na giya sa English 'ndayne na so paganay ron a lekat na giya aden a mamamaybye opama na lagid o aden a number 1 ron. Tonae discussion ae ka di ta khasabotan?

(Ma'am, I am Janisah's mother. She's in 6th grade. It's about her module, I think this is English. On the first page, a girl is waving and there's number 1, what does this mean?)

06:21-06;27- Nor-jannah (Grade 6 pupil) looking out from her window

06:28-06:33 - Teachers walking in the community to deliver modules

06:34-06:49- Farmer Ibra Macalandap

Giyangka-e a kiyapakaoma sii a ICRC. Makaphanalamat kami sa da pithatamanan iyan a panalamat sabap ko miyakatabang rkami. Paganay ron na miyakasowa kami phanday, naba kami mga panday pero saya kami miyakapaganad go kiyasokayangkami.

Since ICRC's arrival... we thank ICRC a lot because they have truly helped us. We also didn't do carpentry but through this, we learned the craft and we also received income.

06:50-07:07- BRoll of ICRC vehicles going to Ragayan

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Video news footage: conflict and COVID-19 pandemic doubly impact education in Butig, Philippines

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In Mindanao, the Philippines' island in the south, protracted conflicts and constant displacement has seriously disrupted young people's access to education. The long-term repercussions of this for children and the community at large are barely reported.

# data[].attributes.body
Why should we put awareness towards the lack of access to education for the poor? What is the government doing about it? What can we, as citizens, do about it?

# data[].attributes.headline
Fears and Hopes of Indigenous Students in Southern Mindanao During Covid-19 Pandemic

# data[].attributes.subject
Fears and Hopes of Indigenous Students in Southern Mindanao During Covid-19 Pandemic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
(PDF) Fears and Hopes of Indigenous Students in Southern Mindanao During Covid-19 Pandemic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
PDF | Abstract The Covid-19 Pandemic is one of the greatest threats to the education of children especially to poor countries and communities. As... | Find, read and cite all the research you need on ResearchGate

# data[].attributes.headline
Education ‘Only for those who can afford’

# data[].attributes.subject
Education ‘Only for those who can afford’

# data[].attributes.body
"No student left behind?"

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
No student left behind? During pandemic, education 'only for those who can afford'

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
While there have been obvious gaps in education in the past, the pandemic highlights a stark divide: access to education for those who can afford it and those who can't

# data[].attributes.headline
Tech challenges of online schooling in the Philippines during the pandemic.

# data[].attributes.subject
Tech challenges of online schooling in the Philippines during the pandemic.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Tech challenges of online schooling in the Philippines during the pandemic

# data[].attributes.headline
The Poor's Education in the Context of the Pandemic

# data[].attributes.subject
The Poor's Education in the Context of the Pandemic

# data[].attributes.headline
Rebuilding education and peace in Mindanao

# data[].attributes.subject
Rebuilding education and peace in Mindanao

# data[].attributes.body
"The education sector in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) exists within a complex and multi-layered social, political, economic and conflict environment."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Rebuilding education and peace in Mindanao - Philippines

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
News and Press Release in English on Philippines about Education, Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding and more; published on 20 Sep 2017 by ANU

# data[].attributes.body
"A good quality education is a right not a privilege." - Rossie

# data[].attributes.headline
The COVID-19 Pandemic: Shocks to Education and Policy Response Infographic

# data[].attributes.subject
The COVID-19 Pandemic: Shocks to Education and Policy Response Infographic

# data[].attributes.body
Due to COVID19, schools are closed for 85% of students worldwide. If countries act quickly, they can build education systems better after the pandemic so they are more prepared to deal with future shocks.

# data[].attributes.headline
Understanding How Poverty is the Main Barrier to Education by Leah Rodriguez

# data[].attributes.subject
Understanding How Poverty is the Main Barrier to Education by Leah Rodriguez

# data[].attributes.body
"Lack of access to education is a major predictor of passing poverty from one generation to the next, and receiving an education is one of the top ways to achieve financial stability."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Education is a basic human right that opens doors for people to lead healthy lives and contribute to their communities. To end extreme poverty by 2030, we must invest in quality education for all. You can join us and take action on this issue here.
Lack of access to education is a major predictor of passing poverty from one generation to the next, and receiving an education is one of the top ways to achieve financial stability.

In other words: education and poverty are directly linked.

Increasing access to education can equalize communities, improve the overall health and longevity of a society, and help save the planet.

The problem is that about 258 million children and youth are out of school around the world, according to UNESCO data released in 2018.

Children do not attend school for many reasons - but they all stem from poverty.

Here are all the statistics, facts, and answers to questions you might have that shed light on the connection between poverty and education.

How does poverty affect education?

Families living in poverty often have to choose between sending their child to school or providing other basic needs. Even if families do not have to pay tuition fees, school comes with the added costs of uniforms, books, supplies, and/or exam fees.

Countries across sub-Saharan Africa, where the world's poorest children live, have made a concerted effort to abolish school fees. While the ratio of students completing lower secondary school increased in the region from 23% in 1990 to 42% in 2014, enrollment is low compared to the 75% global ratio. School remains too expensive for the poorest families. Some children are forced to stay at home doing chores or need to work. In other places, especially in crisis and conflict areas with destroyed infrastructure and limited resources, unaffordable private schools are sometimes the only option.
Read More: These Are the Top 10 Best and Worst Countries for Education in 2016

Why does poverty stop girls from going to school?

Poverty is the most important factor that determines whether or not a girl can access education, according to the World Bank. If families cannot afford the costs of school, they are more likely to send boys than girls. Around 15 million girls will never get the chance to attend school, compared to 10 million boys.

Gender inequality is more prevalent in low-income countries. Women often perform more unpaid work, have fewer assets, are exposed to gender-based violence, and are more likely to be forced into early marriage, all limiting their ability to fully participate in society and benefit from economic growth.
Read More: 10 Barriers to Education Around the World
When girls face barriers to education early on, it is difficult for them to recover. Child marriage is one of the most common reasons a girl might stop going to school. More than 650 million women globally have already married under the age of 18. For families experiencing financial hardship, child marriage reduces their economic burden, but it ends up being more difficult for girls to gain financial independence if they are unable to access a quality education.

Lack of access to adequate menstrual hygiene management also stops many girls from attending school. Some girls cannot afford to buy sanitary products or they do not have access to clean water and sanitation to clean themselves and prevent disease. If safety is a concern due to lack of separate bathrooms, girls will stay home from school to avoid putting themselves at risk of sexual assault or harassment.

An educated girl is not only likely to increase her personal earning potential but can help reduce poverty in her community, too.

"Educated girls have fewer, healthier, and better-educated children," according to the Global Partnership for Education.

When countries invest in girls' education, it sees an increase in female leaders, lower levels of population growth, and a reduction of contributions to climate change.
Read More: 264 Million Children Are Denied Access To Education, New Report Says
Can education help break the cycle of poverty?

Education promotes economic growth because it provides skills that increase employment opportunities and income. Nearly 60 million people could escape poverty if all adults had just two more years of schooling, and 420 million people could be lifted out of poverty if all adults completed secondary education, according to UNESCO.

Education increases earnings by roughly 10% per each additional year of schooling. For each $1 invested in an additional year of schooling, earnings increase by $5 in low-income countries and $2.5 in lower-middle income countries.
Read More: How We Can Be the Generation to End Extreme Poverty
Education reduces many issues that stop people from living healthy lives, including infant and maternal deaths, stunting, infant and maternal deaths, vulnerability to HIV/AIDS, and violence.

How can we end extreme poverty through education?

There are more children enrolled in school than ever before - developing countries reached a 91% enrollment rate in 2015 - but we must fully close the gap.

World leaders gathered at the United Nations headquarters to address the disparity in 2015 and set 17 Global Goals to end extreme poverty by 2030. Global Goal 4: Quality Education aims to "end poverty in all its forms everywhere."

The first step to achieving quality education for all is acknowledging that it is a vital part of sustainable development. Citizens, governments, corporations, and philanthropists all have an important role to play. Learn how to ensure global access to education to end poverty by taking action here.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Understanding How Poverty is the Main Barrier to Education

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Here are all the statistics, facts, and answers to questions you might have that shed light on how poverty is the main barrier to education.

# data[].attributes.headline
Save the Children: Philippines supports health, learning needs of children in conflict-affected Mindanao amid COVID-19 pandemic.

# data[].attributes.subject
Save the Children: Philippines supports health, learning needs of children in conflict-affected Mindanao amid COVID-19 pandemic.

# data[].attributes.body
“The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic inevitably exacerbate the situation of families in conflict-affected areas in Mindanao, where the vulnerable and marginalized children are expected to bear the brunt"

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Sorayda, 40, constantly struggles to look for safety in sending her 11 children to school amid lingering gun battles in her town in Lanao Del Norte.

All her children have been performing well in school, but the lack of access to Television and online technologies will prevent them from continuing education as face-to-face classes have been postponed to prevent exposure to COVID-19.

"They are sad because they do not know when they are going back to school," said Sorayda. "My fourth child is actually the top in his class and he is disappointed not to receive his gold medal."

To help address the concern, Save the Children Philippines will launch the Safe Schools of the Future project in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) that will begin in August 2020 to give school-age children access to an inclusive and safe learning space.

"The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic inevitably exacerbate the situation of families in conflict-affected areas in Mindanao, where the vulnerable and marginalized children are expected to bear the brunt," said Atty. Alberto Muyot, Chief Executive Officer of Save the Children Philippines.

The Safe Schools of the Future provides materials and tools that facilitate learning in emergencies and protracted crisis settings. It also capacitates the resilience of teachers, parents, and the whole community through psychosocial support and community participation.

Edwin Horca, Team Leader of Save the Children Philippines-BARMM offices said the Safe Schools of the Future project aims to improve the quality of education in the region through teacher training on digital education, and use of innovation and technology for teaching.

"The program aims to bridge the digital divide and divisions in communities through inclusive education and technology while promoting justice and peace," said Horca.

Meanwhile, Save the Children Philippines, through the ReACh 2 TEACH project funded by European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), continues to provide hygiene kits and personal protective equipment, along with basic health support and hygiene promotion based on the indigenous norms and practices, to ensure protection of children and adults from COVID-19.

Sorayda and 126 families in Bakwit Village in Matungao in Lanao Del Norte are among the beneficiaries of the two projects of Save the Children Philippines.

She said three years since their house was burned during the Marawi siege, they still face problems on lack of access to water, clean toilets as well as sanitation and hygiene facilities in the shelters.

"We need to walk two kilometers, travel across mountains just to fetch drinking water and do our laundry," Sorayda told Save the Children.

"We also can't wash our hands that often. We don't even have the money to buy soap, we'd rather use it to buy food," said Soraya who also expressed her ordeal in living in an 18-square meter shelter which is hard for her and her children during summer and heavy rains.

The child rights organization has distributed 733 hygiene kits with rubbing alcohol, bath soap and face masks including information and communication materials in identified barangays in Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte and Maguindanao reaching 4,514 individuals.

"Save the Children Philippines believes that swift and decisive actions to provide health support and continuity learning programs will have far-reaching impact in the lives of the most vulnerable children in Mindanao," said Muyot.

-END-

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Save the Children Philippines supports health, learning needs of children in conflict-affected Mindanao amid COVID-19 pandemic - Philippines

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Sorayda, 40, constantly struggles to look for safety in sending her 11 children to school amid lingering gun battles in her town in Lanao Del Norte. All her children have been performing well in school, but the lack of access to Television and online technologies will prevent them from continuing education as face-to-face classes have been postponed to prevent exposure to COVID-19.

# data[].attributes.headline
Reaching underserved children in Mindanao amid pandemic by Apipa Bagumbaran

# data[].attributes.subject
Reaching underserved children in Mindanao amid pandemic by Apipa Bagumbaran

# data[].attributes.body
"Learning opportunities do not come easy in remote towns of Lanao del Sur and other provinces in Mindanao."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Reaching underserved children in Mindanao amid pandemic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
No. of Views: 10,000 No. of Shares: 2,000 Currently viewed by: Marcus Rosit Learning opportunities do not come easy in remote towns of Lanao del Sur and other provinces in Mindanao but the European Union's ReACh 2 TEACH project ensured that the most impacted children in these conflict-affected areas are given the equal learning opportunities and holistic care and protection they deserve despite lack of resources and threats caused by COVID-19.

# data[].attributes.body
The education of children, especially those who suffer in poverty must never be ignored!