AUSTRALIAN SUPPORT TO MUSLIM SCHOOL CHILDREN
In a recent visit to Davao City, Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Rod Smith (center) and the Muslim students of Santa Ana Elementary School engage in a trivia question-and-answer session about Australia. Mr Smith, along with Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) Counsellor Peter Jensen (right), visited the school to observe Arabic Language and Islamic Values Education (ALIVE) classes.
ALIVE is a groundbreaking initiative of the Philippines-Australia Basic Education Assistance for Mindanao (BEAM) project where the Arabic Language and Muslim education is integrated in public elementary schools with a significant number of Muslim students.
Since 2002, BEAM has introduced new approaches to school-based management, Muslim education and access for indigenous people in more than 5000 schools in Regions XI, XII and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
BEAM is a Php1.5 billion (A$39.2 million) initiative of the Australian Government through AusAID and implemented in partnership with the Philippines Department of Education.