Davao teachers train in Israel

At least 10 teachers from Davao City’s Mintal Comprehensive High school will go to Israel in November for a 10-day training.

This developed following the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MoA) between Mayor Inday Sara Duterte and PassItForward, an Israeli non-government organization, for the project called Excellence in Education: A Lighthouse Project, at the Marco Polo Davao on Wednesday.

The MoA signing was witnessed by Israel Ambassador to the Philippines Effie Ben Matityau.

Under the MoA, the parties acknowledged the importance of education as “the key to safeguard and secure sustainable development.”

Mayor Inday conveyed her gratitude to the Embassy of Israel and to PassItForward for their generosity in choosing Davao City as the first beneficiary of the Lighthouse Project.

“We are confident that this initiative will boost the capacity of the teachers of Mintal Comprehensive High School so that they may improve the way they teach students science and technology, engineering, arts and mathematics,” the lady executive said.

Ambassador Matityau said the goal is the continuity and sustainability of the Lighthouse Project.

“The issue is always continuity. We are taking to Israel so many trainees, but when they come back, there is no commitment for continuity. We would like to change that and dedicate the energy directly to change,” he said.

PassItForward founder Samuel Weiss said the Lighthouse Project will extend to students the best training and exposure in select fields of learning.

“We could only promise you one thing, that this could be like the most advanced, I can honestly guarantee,” he said. “As much as you support us, you’ll get more knowledge, information and day-to-day involvement or activities in technology, math, robotics. More of that, we will create out of it a more powerful engine,” Darwin Polido, PhD, one of the 10 teachers to be sent to Israel, said the training will enhance student knowledge in technology, robotics and the arts since they will be exposed to 21st century classroom techniques.