A Glimpse of Kapitolyo High School - A Regional ICT TECH-VOC High School

A Glimpse of Kapitolyo High School - A Regional ICT TECH-VOC High School Following the overall vision of the DepED ICT4E - “21st Century Education for All Filipinos Anytime, Anywhere”, indicates an ICT educational system which brings about transformation of students to be well- equipped with the knowledge, information and a global outlook in developing a creative and innovative mind. The integration of ICT in our curriculum includes the development of multi-media instructional systems which will ensure an efficient and effective linkage of our students with the vast network of knowledge and information which will greatly improve their competency standards in various dimensions of learning. The main objective of the DepED is to equip particularly high school students with special skills through the Strengthened Technical Vocational Education Program (STVEP) geared towards the preparation of a dignified knowledge, love of work and eventually entrepreneurship ideas. It was on December 03, 2003 when the joint forces of the DepED, Local School Board of Pasig City, Innove Communications Incorporated, and Asia Foundation Incorporated moved upon the realization of bridging the digital divide bringing about the school as “The Center of Excellence in Information Technology.”By then Kapitolyo High School was still a Rizal High School Annex which inspired the Head Teacher- in- Charge, Inocencio C. Arabit to work out the school’s independence which materialized on June 02, 2004 followed by his promotion as a Principal thus its name adopting Kapitolyo High School as an ICT School. On 2005, the DepED declared a transitory moratorium on the adherence of the learning competencies of the curriculum prescribed embodied in the DepED Order no.37 which defines the TVE as a regular curriculum built on the 2002 Basic Education Curriculum as well as its articulation with TESDA training regulation. Eventually in 2006, the Bureau of Alternative Training System (ALS) in partnership with the Commission on Information and Communication Technology engaged in project eskuwela to deliver the secondary level training for the Out-of-School-Youth and adults through the use of interactive electronic modules. ALS further aims to use the multi-media instructional materials wherein our school is empowered to develop the said materials based on their needs. In 2007,as mandated in the DepED Order no.17, which contained” to strengthen the existing TVEP in the public Secondary Educational System, the DepED Central Office Task Force on Tech-Voc Education is mandated to provide policy support, curriculum ,teachers, and management trainings infrastructure and other technical assistance to document TVE practices in the entire region and eventually implemented in this school as one of the Tech-Voc High Schools. In the school year 2008, due to the hard work and efforts of the Tech-Voc Department through its Coordinator and a Master Teacher II of this school, Juan B. Reluba with the joint efforts of the ICT Coordinator Leny C. Daniel spontaneous trainings were conducted from time to time as scheduled with the assistance of Engr. Serafin R.Olaso who heads the Educast c.i.t.e.s – a non-profit organization, in his desire to help with the implementation of this program. On May, 2007 the construction of the 4 storey 12 classrooms intended for the Tech-Voc students started which was thru the sponsorship of Congressman Roman T.Romulo of the Lone District of Pasig City. In March 2006, Kapitolyo High School became one of the recipients CICT computer laboratory equipped with twenty one (21) Pentium IV computer units, one router and one LCD projector. This was made possible through the initiative and untiring efforts of the school’s principal Mr. Inocencio C. Arabit. In May 2006, the CICT in coordination with Batangas State University conducted one week training on Linux operating system and Open Office Architecture. Subject coordinators attended the said training and successfully learned the new environment of open office applications. In July of the same year, Open office application was introduced to different subject area teachers through the series of trainings conducted by the TLE Department. Several Divisions ICT trainings were also conducted for the teachers and administrators. On September, 2008 the ICT Congress held in Cebu City was attended in by the ICT Coordinator and the Tech-Voc Coordinator together with the TLE Division Supervisor Dr. Norma M .Dogelio and the Virtual Group for Advancement in Information Technology (ICT Teacher-Representatives from the different schools in the Division of Pasig City).TLE Teachers participated in varied computer laboratory trainings so with the Tech-Voc and ICT Coordinator who acted as trainers in their delegated expertise. On October, 2008 the newly constructed Tech-Voc Building was inaugurated. On December 4, 2008 the Schools TechVoc Facilities were inspected by the DepED NCR TLE Supervisor Dr. Teresa Namoro and her team followed by December 18, 2008 by the DepED Central Task Force which was a dream materialized. On April 26, 2009 the heartbreaking news on the untimely demise of the school's Principal Inocencio C. Arabit who dreamed of this big event became futile on his part because it was an unseen reality. With the completion and the inauguration of the new Tech-Voc Building the 4 storey building with 12 classrooms housed the 1st National Seminar-Workshop in Animation and Visual Graphics Design participated in by all the 48 Regional ICT Tech-Voc High Schools in the country on June 1-12 ,2009. As a continuing support to the operationalization of the Regional ICT Tech-Voc High Schools, series of trainings on the different fields in ICT were conducted. Kapitolyo High School was able to send selected teachers on the different trainings. Two of them were able to get a certification in IC3 from Microsoft and eight ICT teachers were certified by TESDA in Computer Hardware Servicing NC II. As a mandate from DepED Tech-Voc, the skills acquired by the ICT teachers are now shared to other teachers in the Division of Pasig City. To date, Kapitolyo High School in coordination with EDUCAST cites has already trained eight (8), 1st batch and twenty five (25) 2nd batch, teachers from the different schools in the Division of Pasig City which made them a CHS NC II passers. The school also conducted two batches of PGS Scholarship Program in Computer Hardware Servicing which certified twenty (20)- 1st batch and twenty five (25)-2nd batch out-of-school youths. More ICT trainings and development are set not only for Kapitolyo High School students and teachers but even other schools in the region. Through the joint efforts of TLE/STVE teachers, with the support and wisdom of the new Principal, Mr. Domingo N. Viñas, and with the leading of the Lord God Almighty, nothing is hard and impossible.