Quezon National High School Alumni Foundation

Alumni-QNHS Partnership for  Development:
Five-Year Agenda for Action

The Situations that Concern the Alumni

Present Student Performance 

Overall, QNHS students as of school year 2000-2001 learn only 50.25% of what a Filipino high school student should know.

By subject, their achievement in four academic years, are indicated by the following table: 

Table 1

ACHIEVEMENT RATE
National Secondary Achievement Test 

Source: Test Administration Division, National Testing and Research Center, Department of Education

Other quality and efficiency indicators

The other learning situation seems to be improving but overall, they still leave much to be desired (see Table 2 below)

• Cohort Survival Rate increased to 75.88%

• Dropout Rate down to 8.93%

• Repetition Rate down to 8.93%

• Graduation Rate remains at 98% 

Physical/instructional  resources 

The situation in the provision of basic inputs to student learning

• Student-Teacher Ratio stays at 1:33

• Classroom-Student Ratio improved at 1:111

Table 2

Performance Indicators of
Quezon National High School

Student Life and Other institutional issues 

Benchmarking with Itself, the School should look back and learn much from the Glory that was Quezon High

• The Coconut put up 20 issues (twice a month) during its founding year in 1928 at the time of limited printing facilities, inadequate communication and transportation and limited electrification
   

• Culture/arts tradition flourished – Dramatic Club staged Flower Drum Song and South Pacific and other hits ahead of Broadway and many other local greats in the 50’s till 70s; there was the THS Orchestra as early as 1933; Glee Club was a big-time entertainer of many events in 1933
   

• School had very vibrant and dynamic student life – pre-War debating club was always champion in Southern Tagalog; THS hosted NSSPC as early as 1933

BUILDING ON THE ALUMNI GOODWILL

Both the School and the Foundation can expect and tap resources for institutional development based on

• The Toronto Pledges – the biggest gathering of overseas alumni in the city of Toronto in Can Canada in July 2002 generated a renewal of allegiance to the Alma Mater and commitment of financial and other types of resources
   

• Present number of dedicated alumni spearheading developmental projects and activities (scholarship and fund raising for infrastructure, etc.
   

• many graduates have started to think about the welfare of the school and have in fact been displaying exceptional dedication to their Alma Mater and showing promise of sustained support.
   

• Internet has made it easier for these people to network with other graduates and to update each other on developments in the school,

BUT:

•  Many members of class batches who have the willingness and means to help the school do not yet have a clear idea of the needs of the school.  If they do, perception of needs come in a rather guess-work fashion. Sometimes the support is matched with the available funds on hand but they have no clear picture or idea of the total needs and priorities of the school.

ALUMNI RESPONSE: THE VISION OF THE FOUNDATION

An unqualifiedly committed big number of QNHS alumni who will assist the school to develop itself as a model public high school in the country which nurture students to go on learning life skills beyond the classroom and produce graduates for the needs of the millennium.

We envision a strong and unified Foundation that will serve as the clearing house and a responsible steward-coordinator of all actions and material assistance given by the Alumni to QNHS. 

WHAT THE  FOUNDATION WOULD LIKE TO BE AND DO

“Altogether, we will conquer, all the foes of Quezon High”  (Alma Mater Song)

First, there should be full awareness of the present foes of Quezon High: 

• Mediocrity?
   

• Deterioration
   

• Forgetfulness
   

• Lack of vision
   

• Or even Smelly and dirty toilets

Together, and through time,  these lead to a disease like

A – apathy

I – indifference

D – disunity and

S – sterility

With the leadership of the Alumni, the cooperation of the QNHS community (management, teachers, Parents and students) and the help of the friends of Quezon High, these  maladies can and should be effectively and immediately addressed.

Thus, the Alumni through the Foundation shall serve as the School’s partner in: 

• Contributing efforts in the translating national education into school-level  policies/ programs
    

• fulfilling a multi-stakeholder school governance/management
   

• protecting the School’s interest at all levels
   

• meeting the students’ total learning needs
   

• promoting faculty development,  welfare and unity;
    

• monitoring student performance and the learning environment; and
   

• sustaining the School’s heritage and worthy traditions

Specific Activities/Programs

In line with the above role of the Alumni and in response to the needs and problems of the School, the Foundation shall endeavor to undertake the following doable activities and projects within the next five years by short-term phases

Short-term actions (1-3 years) 

• Advocacy in the setting up and eventual implementation of the QNHS Teaching Chair Scheme and monitoring its impact
   
• Sponsorship of meetings on The Coconut Question and the 75th Anniversary Conference
   
• Multi-interest forum on the Alternative Learning System (ALS)
   
• Sponsorship of Comprehensive Guidance Program Including the  Alternative Learning  System (ALS)
   
• Provision of secondary reference books in the library and teaching materials
   
• incentives to teachers who introduce innovative teaching and learning tools  and nurture the Coco, Dramatic Club, etc.
   
• assistance for scholarship for teachers and INSET;
   
• sponsorship or partial subsidy to Coco participation in the NSSPC and at least one extra issue
   
• Refurbishment of the Alumni Bldg.
   
• repair and improvement of toilets in the Alumni Building and rehabilitation of students and teachers toilets with water supply
   
• Provision of assistance in the purchase of most urgently needed repair and maintenance supplies critical to efficient teaching-learning

Medium-term (five Years) 

• Provision of technical assistance in the inter-sectoral formulation of: 1) Sustainable Physical Plan; 2) Culture and Arts Plan and 3) Strategic Plan for Academic Excellence which will include standards of excellence
   

• Provision of technical assistance in the mobilizing of inter-agency support for the Comprehensive Guidance Program
   

• Assistance to the PTA in the resolution of key issues
   

• Participation as an interest group in local government meetings on education
   

• Providing moral support to school management in dealing with higher authorities in education
   

• Assistance in the formulation and advocacy of intervention programs needed in response to the results of the monitoring and evaluation of school performance and the impact of the Teaching Chair and Comprehensive Guidance Program

THE MEANS TO  ACCOMPLISH THE GOALS

Accelerate local and international membership campaign with the following targets: 

• Lifetime membership– 10 per cent per year
   

• Sustaining membership – 15 per cent per year
   

• Supporting Friends of QNHS – 3 per cent per year

Formulate an effective social marketing and publicity strategy for the Foundation’s special projects and the urgent and basic needs  of the QNHS

Strategize an effective scheme for the full utilization of the talents, expertise and volunteerism of all members (locally based and overseas) to meet the short-term and long-term needs of the School for the improvement of the total learning environment and student academic performance 

Utilize the proposed publication of The Coconut International to reach  out to more overseas Alumni and supportive friends   

Promote frequent and more meaningful linkages and dialogs between the Foundation and the School through meetings and other means of communication   

Establish communication link among alumni all over the world by email and Internet connectivity using various batch websites and existing email addresses of grads. 

Encourage advocacy groups among the alumni to examine delayed government funding on various school projects identified for refurbishing and those that were not completed. 

Support , coordinate and promote the Foundation objectives during Class Reunions 

Operationalize a working Secretariat with the part-time help of volunteer Alumni-teachers and alumni supported local scholars to look after Foundation meetings, records and communication, information for visiting alumni and coordination for gatherings, meetings and class reunions.  The foundation shall endeavor to link the secretariat with overseas and locally based alumni through the Internet 

Re-examine and introduce the necessary amendments to the By-laws to enable the Foundation to play a more developmental role.