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News Top Stories Arroyo breaks ground for new science high school in Argao
News Top Stories Arroyo breaks ground for new science high school in Argao
| Arroyo breaks ground for new science high school in Argao |
| Sunday, 25 May 2008 13:42 | ||||||
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She flew to the town, about 66 kilometers south of Cebu City, to lead the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a P20-million building for the Philippine Science High School (PSHS) Central Visayas Campus located in the mountain barangay (village) of Talaytay, Argao. Science and Technology Secretary Estrella Alabastro said the operation of the PSHS is expected to improve the country’s ranking in aptitude tests. Alabastro said there are now nine PSHS campuses spread in the different regions in the country. She said that the Arroyo administration wanted to have a PSHS campus in each region. “With the initiative that we have taken, in a few years I hope na we will see improvements in the score of our students,” she said. According to Alabastro, the PSHS is different from the science high schools run by Department of Education. The PSHS offers lessons that especially prepare graduates to take up science or information technology (IT)-related courses in college. Alabastro explained that general curriculum is taught to their freshmen students. Students are then led to some specializations in the field of science and technology when they enter their second year to prepare them for specialized lessons in third year. Junior students will be made to specialize either in environmental science, science researches, chemistry or biology. Students who want to master technology subjects as a preparation to take engineering and IT related courses in college are made to specialize in basic electronics, robotics and technology research. “But I would rather that they (Cebuano students) would focus on IT because Cebu is strong in IT,” Alabastro said. Robert Martinsim, a sophomore student, said the government gives PSHS scholars an allowance of P2,500 monthly to pay for rent of the campus dormitory and to buy food. Martinsim, who lives on Lopez Jaena St. in Cebu City, said he stays in the campus dormitory during school days so he could focus on his studies. He would go home to his parents on weekends. “It’s also good to just stay here in school because it allows us to focus on our lessons. We have more advanced lessons,” he said. A PSHS teacher said they have students coming from other provinces in the region like Bohol and Siquijor. Scholars are admitted after they pass the PSHS entrance examinations. A school building and a dormitory are now available at the 5.2 hectare-lot in Barangay Talaytay located at least 3.5 kilometers from the national highway. One building is used as a dormitory for PSHS scholars while the other building is used for their lessons. Computers are available on the second floor of the academic building for the students’ use, said Alabastro. An allocation of P20 million was set aside from the national government’s budget for the construction of a second academic building that will consist of 12 classrooms within the next six months. The construction project will form part of the 10,000 classrooms that the Arroyo administration intends to construct in the different parts of the country this year. President Arroyo arrived in Argao town past noon on Monday on board a chopper which she boarded from Cebu City. She led the ground breaking ceremonies for the construction project. Also present were Alabastro, Secretary Cerge Remonde who is native of Argao, Representative Eduardo Gullas of 1st district, Argao Mayor Edsel Galeos and former congressman Simeon Kintanar who introduced the establishment of a PSHS Central Visayas Campus in Argao town in 2006. The President then toured the campus and shook the hands of PSHS teachers and enrollees. The school has 33 incoming second year students and 25 incoming third year students and at least 38 incoming first year students.
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