Framework for the Integration of the Childrens Rights in the

School Improvement Plan (SIP) of the Department of Education

What is SIP?

SIP is a roadmap that lays down specific interventions and engagement

that a school with the help of the community and other stakeholders, will
undertake within a period of three consecutive years that seeks to provide
those involved in school planning an evidenced-based, systematic
approach in providing access to quality education. This is also to
encourage and empower school teams and personnel in expanding
community participation and involvement, and making the delivery of
education services to the learners more responsive, efficient and effective
through school planning and communication process.

The Iloilo Children Welfare Foundation Inc., a non-government organization

promotes the rights and welfare of every Filipino child. One of its programs
is seeing to it the childrens rights will be propagated and known to public
extensively as stipulated by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of
the Child (UNCRC) in which the Philippines is a State signatory in 1990.
Specifically, under Article 42 of the UNCRC, it states that Governments
should make the Convention known to adults and children. Adults should
help children learn about their rights, too and which is also stated under
Article 4 that States Parties shall undertake all appropriate legislative,
administrative, and other measures for the implementation of [childrens]
rights and that States Parties shall undertake such measures to the
maximum extent of their available resources

It is in this authority or mandate that ICWF would like to engage with you in
the initiative to integrate childrens rights in the 60 public elementary and
secondary schools in Iloilo City and respectfully requests for its
institutionalization in your School Improvement Plan (SIP) through the
framework of increasing awareness of UNCRC in schools and capitalizing
your SPG and SSG as prime movers to childrens rights achievement. The
pupils and students will be guided through trainings and capacity building
activities that will build their confidence as right holders and not as
abusers of their own rights.

ICWF foresees SIP as an opportunity to promote UNCRC in the school

setting, that UNCRC can be integrated in the SIP through this campaign:
UNCRC to be promoted in 60 public elementary and secondary (high
school) schools in Iloilo City through the following steps:

1. Orientations on UNCRC to teachers

 Orientations to 60 teachers/SIP coordinators through a
workshop/teachers congress a preparatory activity to promote
UNCRC to teachers/SIP coordinators and at the same time will serve
as planning session to situate UNCRC in the SIP.

2. Creation of advocacy groups in schools

Initially, ICWF planned to organize Childrens Rights Groups (CRC) in

the 60 schools to become advocacy groups for childrens rights.
However, after successive meetings, lobbying and planning sessions
with the Department of Education-Iloilo City Schools Division and
network partners, it is decided that the Supreme Student Government
(SSG) and Supreme Pupil Government (SPG) particularly the elected
officers will be capitalized to become advocacy groups for the
promotion of UNCRC in schools rather than organize a new group of
CRC which will take up too much time, money and effort and its
sustainability remains uncertain. After all, advocacy is emphasized
rather than the organizing aspect of this initiative.

SSG (student organization involving high school students) and SPG

(student organization involving elementary school pupils) are co-
curricular student organizations authorized to implement pertinent
programs, projects, and activities in Philippine schools as mandated
by the Department of Education.

3. Orientations on UNCRC to students

The elected Presidents of the SSGs and SPGs of the 60 schools will
become the participants to the Orientations on UNCRC and for them
to echo back the learning gained to their respective organizations.
Selected trainers (those that attended and completed the training for
trainers) will orient these students.

4. Awareness-raising and advocacy campaigns by the students

Part of the lobbying actions, are for SSGs and SPGs to be actively
involved in the advocacy campaigns for childrens rights through (1)
IEC distribution in the school campus, (2) post IEC materials in the
bulletin boards, (3) participate in the celebration of the childrens
month through advocacy presentations like theatre, arts and drama or
interpretative dance drama that portray childrens rights campaign.
This can be decided if student governments will spearhead an activity
or program to celebrate childrens month in their respective schools
but ICWF will select 10 active schools to participate in the ICWF-
initiated childrens month celebration where advocacy presentations
will be presented in one of the biggest malls in the City.
5. Evaluation of the most active childrens rights advocacy groups

Every month of November, ICWF together with network partners and

other stakeholders will go to schools to evaluate and select the most
active advocacy groups and for them to be recognized during the
childrens month celebration. Criteria for evaluation will be designed
and developed based on the number of children reached by the
advocacy (direct questions asked from students randomly), number
of campaigns conducted, innovativeness and creativity to name a
few.
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