Tuesday, November 11, 2008 Neda okays Beam project extension until Nov 2009
THE National Economic Development Authority (Neda) agreed to extend the AusAID grant validity for the Basic Education for Mindanao project until November 2009 with an additional Aus$11.3 million grant.
With this, Beam has become a 7.9-year contract with the total value of Australian government's grant pegged at Aus$50,551,183 or approximately P2 billion.
Basically, the project is geared towards the improvement of the quality of education and making education accessible to the youth, Beam acting Australian director Ramon Bobier explained.
He said the low rate garnered in the results of the National Achievement Test in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao fostered a challenge to the Beam project in the area.
Beam has been supporting the Accelerated Teacher Education Program, Early Education classes; Alternative Learning Systems Accreditation and Equivalency classes; and Basic Literacy and/or Functional Literacy for parents of ECE with livelihood enterprise and is into construction of community learning centers.
Beam is also responsible in helping in the institutionalization of Arabic Language and Islamic Values (Alive) program in the public schools.
Running through the whole 15-month extension (September 2008 to November 2009) is continued support to DepEd Armm in order to extend and expand the access and quality improvement programs currently underway.
This support will also include finalization of the draft DepEd Armm-Regional Basic Education Development Plan (RBEDP) by updating it, rechecking its priorities and obtaining ownership of the plan by the Armm stakeholders. (PIA)
