UNICEF Philippines works to achieve quality education for all children in the country, particularly those from marginalized communities. It helps to ensure that children are ready for school by supporting early childhood care and development centres, including home and centre-based day care for 3 to 5-year-olds. UNICEF provides packages for day care centres, including play and learning materials, health and nutrition supplies and hygiene kits. In association with the Department of Education (Philippines), UNICEF has established a network of Child-Friendly primary schools and is now piloting the programme in high schools. This includes training for teachers and principals on child-friendly teaching methods.[9]
UNICEF is also supporting policy makers in developing national standards to improve the quality of early learning programmes. The organization helped develop the Student Tracking System to monitor children’s progress, especially those at risk of dropping out. It is supporting the Department of Education in improving education in disadvantaged areas, including through the Modified In-School/Off-School Approach (MISOSA), which tackles the problem of large class sizes and congestion in schools