MANILA, Philippines — In line with its efforts to improve the teaching of reading in the country’s public elementary schools, the Department of Education (DepEd) continues to partner with various organizations to ensure that teachers will have updated training and knowledge to share with their students.

Education Secretary Armin Luistro, through DepEd Memorandum No. 17 series of 2012 released to regional directors, schools division/city superintendents, and heads of public elementary schools, announced that the collaboration with the DepEd, the Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP) and the Sa Aklat Sisikat (SAS) Foundation called the “Computer Access Mentorship Program” or CAMP will be expanded this year.

“In its desire to reach more teachers in 2012, the SAS is planning to open additional 10 camp sites nationwide,” said Luistro.

The CAMP, which was first launched in 2010, is offering the online courses as well as Internet and the computer access at the CAMP sites free of charge to all primary grade teachers who may wish to avail of the said CAMP online courses. “The CAMP is also available in any place where there is an Internet connection,” Luistro added.

The DepEd chief also stressed that the Program mainly supports the DepEd’s thrust to continuously improve the teaching of reading in the elementary schools. Under this program, the SAS Foundation has developed computer laboratories or CAMP sites in the Boy Scouts Council Offices (BSCOs) nationwide to train the elementary teachers on the latest methods of teaching reading online.

To date, 15 CAMP sites in Central, Northern and Southern Luzon were opened for training the teachers in the teaching of reading. A memorandum of agreement between the SAS and the DepEd has been signed to give teachers the opportunity of completing the online CAMP courses with service credits equivalent to the total number of days in completing the said courses.