FORTH - Formation of Teachers in Emerging Challenged Areas in the Philippines

Scientific coordinator: Prof. Elena Pacetti

Project Team: Ira Vannini, Paola Villano, Consuelo Mameli, Giacomo Mancini, Licia Masoni

Key Action: KA2 - Cooperation for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices

Action Type: Capacity Building in the field of Higher Education (CBHE)

Applicant: University of Groningen and International Tuning Academy (NL)

European Partners: Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna (IT), University of Deusto, Bilbao (ES), Educacion Para Un Mundo Interdependiente-Education Pour Un Monde Interdependant-Education In An Interdependent World, Brussels (BE), Fundacion Intered, Madrid (ES).

Philippine Partners – Five Universities: Polytechnic University of The Philippines –PUP (Manila) (PH), Centro Escolar University – CEU (Manila) (PH), University Of Southeastern Philippines – UseP (Davao) (PH), West Visayas State University – WVSU (Iloilo) (PH), University of Saint La Salle – USLS (Bacolod City) (PH).

Other Partners in the Philippines: Commission on Higher Education – CHED (PH), Philippine Association For Teachers & Educators (Pafte), Inc. – PAFTE (PH), Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization – SEAMEO – INNOTECH (PH), Teresian Association International, inc. - TAII (PH)

N.r Partners: 15

Partners’ Countries: NL, IT, BE, ES, PH

UNIBO’s role: Partner

Project Duration (in months): 36

Start Date: 15/11/2018

End Date: 14/11/2021

Status: active

Total Budget: 999.720,00 euro

Unibo Budget: 50.000,00 euro

Project’s Topics: Higher Education, Teacher Training, Philippines, New Curricula

Description: FORTH (Formation of Teachers for Emerging Challenged Areas in the Philippines) aims to develop a network of higher education institutions, associations and stakeholders creating a system of quality, motivation and support to teacher training in a number of emerging challenged areas in the Philippines that could serve as a model of teacher training for similar contexts in the world.

It addresses the reality of teaching in socio-economic deprived areas with very specific needs and contexts for both children and teachers. FORTH particularly addresses teacher´s loss of motivation and self-esteem ending in absenteeism and attrition. It addresses this challenge with a number of joint measures such as bringing to the forefront the relevance of this mission for the eradication of poverty through education, highlighting the importance of this task creating new curricula and developing it into a Master and then into an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree. The curricula will be designed jointly by specialists from Phil and EU, having a critical mass 10 per university fully trained (total 50 people) and making it a centre of excellence by research and international links. Further, the project will foster the creation of University clusters, learning communities of university- school teachers (in the selected areas as a pilot) enjoy join learning activities. FORTH intends to be a pilot in the Philippines to be replicated in other parts of the world, making a network of interested partners.