The Department of Education (DepEd) has partnered with Australian counterparts on the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao’s (BARMM) Madrasah Education Strategic Plan.
The landmark agreement paves the way for inclusive education in Islamic schools within the region, the DepEd said.
Historically, education in Muslim Mindanao has faced significant challenges. The Islamic context was not integrated into the existing K-12 curriculum used in the BARMM.
Additionally, madaris (Islamic schools) do not receive sufficient subsidies and budgets compared to state schools. Many madaris in the Philippines also struggle with poor educational facilities and buildings that are not conducive to learning.
The new BARMM Madrasah Education Strategic Plan aims to standardize madrasah education by strengthening “quality, accessibility, and inclusivity,” the DepEd said.
Once implemented, the plan seeks to improve key priority areas in madrasah education. These include increasing the enrolment of Bangsamoro learners by 30%, aligning all learning materials for every subject with the new curriculum, and increasing the number of madaris with permits to operate by 15%.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline Philippines taps Australia for BARMM education initiatives
