(MANILA) – A diploma is not enough to thrive in the modern world. It may sound like sage advice heard from elders countless times, but it’s from a policy note of the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS)1. The government-funded think tank said Filipino graduates “need 21st-century competencies to thrive in adverse circumstances.”
PIDS added that institutions must provide spaces for learners to acquire these qualities. Through a curriculum that integrates real-world learning and hard concepts, NTC SmartClass Homeschooling delivers education that cultivates abilities like critical thinking, problem-solving, grit, and initiative—21st-century skills that will help the younger generation navigate a future that is expected to be more disruptive.
Maria Van Aguilar, parent to a seventh grader in SmartClass, said that her daughter has learned to accomplish school tasks with no supervision. SmartClass goes against spoonfeeding and instead pushes students to take responsibility for their learning.
“’Yun ang gusto ko sa SmartClass, ‘yung pagiging responsable, pagiging independent ng bata, talagang nahubog sa kanya,” said Aguilar.
Professionals attest that SmartClass kids are acquiring skills in demand in the modern workplace. In an integrated social studies lesson, SmartClass eighth graders put to use their learnings in programming and history by designing virtual museums. The task was to illustrate facts about the Holocaust through a 3D exhibition.
Eighth grader Miguel Perez and his classmates used striking images of the Holocaust for their virtual museums
Blake Andre Lopez, also an eighth grader, designed a website on top of turning in a virtual museum
Florence Castillo, a SmartClass parent who works as a Data Enterprise Engineer, affirms the usefulness of these modern lessons. “Using Java, using HTML, programming, creating websites, and all that, that’s a very advanced lesson,” she said. “When they graduate, surely they will have a job.”
“Maganda ‘yung homeworks. Very useful in real-world applications,” said Mirasol Dela Cruz, parent to a SmartClass eighth grader. “My son is only 14 years old but he’s already making that kind of stuff.”
Elementary education, or Kinder to Grade 6, has a fully asynchronous homeschooling program under SmartClass. Junior High School, or Grades 7 to 10, also features online synchronous classes alongside offline school tasks. The online classes are recorded to provide high school learners the option of attending at a later time, ensuring flexibility.
Parents are also showing appreciation to the program’s teachers, called Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), who supplement the learning through the aforementioned online classes or scheduled consultations. “There is a person who is there to help you and your kids with the subjects,” said Cherille Siquete, another SmartClass parent.
Global economic challenges are tackled in one of the modules in NTC SmartClass, equipping learners with knowledge about advanced subjects and current events
Backed by the National Teachers College and APEC Schools, SmartClass provides these features for an all-in package of 35,000 pesos, fulfilling its mission of providing accessible homeschooling that prepares kids for today’s world. Rochelle Bondoc has seen it in her ninth-grade son, who’s been enrolled in SmartClass for the past three years.
“When it comes to skills, ahead ang anak ko. He’s college-ready,” said Bondoc.
