Lumad schools

Critical thinking under government attack, transformative education at risk

October 5, 2018

Recent government statements including by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP) aim to stifle critical thinking of educators and students. By trying to censor ideas it finds objectionable, the State is violating the public’s right to free expression and academic freedom. This will stop education from being truly transformative. […]

The IBON 2018 Planner: Why Support Community Schools?

December 22, 2017

Society is their book; and the people, their teachers The Save Our Schools Network (SOS) unites right to education advocates supporting community-established Mindanao schools. The schools have been under attack by State forces resulting in various civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights violations against children, their teachers and families. During the first-ever national conference […]

Gov’t urged to keep Lumad schoolchildren safe, order military to leave schools alone (Letter to Editors)

August 4, 2017

  We, members of the Educators’ Forum for Development, are alarmed at Pres. Rodrigo Duterte’s order to “bomb Lumad schools”. The administration also staunchly defends the extension of Martial Lawin Mindanao which has further disrupted Lumad schools. The safety of the Lumad schoolchildren will only be secured with the immediate withdrawal of the military from […]

Amid upped military operations, educators reiterate call to save IP schools

March 23, 2017

In the aftermath of the Fourth Mindanao-Wide Conference of the Save our Schools (SOS) Network, transformative education group Educators Forum for Development (EfD) said that the Duterte administration should stop continuing attacks against indigenous people (IP)’s alternative schools. The EfD echoed calls by the SOS Network for military troops to halt operations in and pull […]

Lumad schools under attack in mineral-rich Mindanao

March 17, 2017

These Lumad schools, most of which are recognized by the Department of Education, have been under attack by State military and paramilitary troops known to secure big mining, logging, coal energy operations and corporate plantations. Thousands of teachers, students, and entire communities are victims of harassment, land grabbing, ransacking, encampment of public facilities, strafing, villification, […]