Ongoing Project 2018 - 2021: Project FORTH

Project FORTH (Formation of Teachers in Challenged Areas in the Philippines) is an Erasmus+ capacity building project funded by the European Commission. 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 i

FORTH aims to develop a network of Higher Educaiton 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 teachers training for similar contexts in the world.

To raise motivation of the teachers and the development of quality education in these areas, the following elements will be underscored:

1. Highlight the importance of teaching in the emerging challenged areas by:
   • Raising the quality of education and prestige of the training by developing a major in the Master program for this specific type of work. In addition, allowing teachers working in these areas to complete the MA program on a part time basis.
   • Training the trainers to be able to train others in the field and as well as those in the pre-induction programs.
   • Developing the year of practicum at the BA level in schools as learning labs with FORTH-trained staff.
   • Fostering research projects and Master Thesis on topics related to teaching in martginal areas.
   • Making the area a point of interest for international research and learning.
2. Creating and consolidating learning communities for motivation and support by:
   • Developing learning communities at the local level in the 15 clusters for sharing experience and backing.
   • Developing ownership of projects emerging from needs and discovering solutions from within the communities.
   • Developing learning communities at national level through national training sessions and an online platform.
   • Linking the international teams of the consortium with the Tuning groups all over the world as communities of contrast, sharing and support.
3. Changing the narrative from one focusing on problem realities and concentrating in quality education as instrument of transformation by:
   • Emphasizing the potential of the project as pilot and model for other regions of the world and fostering the devlopment of networks with akin goals.
   • Developing a Master program to eventually become an Erasmus Mundus and a focual point of excellence at a later date.
   • Creating a system of communicating results and analysis of date from experts from other parts of the world with the Tuning Academy and its global network among others.

This combination of measures is expected to change the situation and increase the importance of education as a transforming power in critical areas of the world.

For more information on Project FORTH please see the project leaflet: