The Negros Occidental provincial government is providing scholarships to some 100 public school heads in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd) and the University of St. La Salle (USLS) in this city.

Karen Dinsay, head of the Negros Occidental Scholarship Program Division, said on Wednesday that 75 slots are open to qualified teachers from the Schools Division of Negros Occidental and 25 to those from the 12 City Schools Divisions.

These teacher-scholars will comprise the second batch of grantees after the initial group of 63 completed the program last January.

On Tuesday afternoon, the implementation of the Provincial School Heads Academy Scholarship for 2024 was formalized through the signing of a memorandum of agreement between Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, DepEd- Negros Occidental Schools Division Superintendent Anthony Liobet, and USLS president Br. Joaquin Severino Martinez in a ceremony held at the USLS campus Lopue Conference Room.

The program aims to strengthen and upgrade the competencies of school heads and improve the quality of education in public schools.

Under the Provincial School Heads Academy Scholarship, the grantees will enroll in a three-semester program at the USLS this coming July.

After completing the 15 to 18 units prescribed leadership development course, they will obtain a Certificate in Educational Administration and Supervision.

“This landmark scholarship initiative reflects our shared vision of a future where our schools are led by individuals equipped with the skills and passion necessary to make our educational system responsive to the needs of a rapidly changing and evolving world,” Lacson said.

The governor added that the scholarship is a tribute to the hard work and a sincere expression of deep gratitude for the teachers’ invaluable contribution to the nation and the province.

After completing the program, grantees will have to submit a Re-entry Action Plan to the USLS and render services to his or her assigned school or any DepEd public school in Negros Occidental for three academic years. (PNA)