October 23rd 2018 saw the official launch of the Academe Philippine Online High School (APOHS), the first online open high school in the Philippines catering to learners in grades 7 through 10. This was made possible through CDO-based school Little Me Academy’s partnership with QUIPPER, a Japan-based, e-learning platform that gives learners a challenging and engaging digital curriculum that is also aligned to Philippine’s K-12 Basic Education Curriculum.
Little Me Academy’s Chief Education Officer, Teacher Ram Olandesca, noted that a large percentage of high-school age students and a considerable number of adults lack access to high school education due to several personal limitations, including location, work, and physical ability. “It is difficult or nearly impossible for the traditional, brick-and-mortar classroom to accommodate these learners,’ Teacher Ram said. “But in an online learning environment, these limitations – from location to physical ability, from availability to age – are overcome.”
APOHS students have the freedom to complete their 100% online coursework wherever they are in the world. Because lessons are modular, learners can work whenever they want and at their own pace. This is helpful for students who have fallen behind, optimal for those who want to get ahead, and accessible for any Filipino learner.
Teachers complement the digital curriculum of the school. “The faculty and staff at APOHS are highly qualified educators passionate about teaching, having undergone rigorous training for years at Little Me Academy,” enthused Teacher Ram. “Little Me-an teachers are known throughout CDO for their dynamism, creativity, and outstanding communication skills. They’ll bring that and more to the online school setting with tutoring, live instruction, corrective feedback, daily reminders, and check-ins.”
Personal connections and communications are made possible through mandatory, weekly online meetings and in-person meet-ups. “With this,” Teacher Ram said, “the APOHS learner gains not just the intellectual profits of a high school education, but the social and emotional growth of a complete high school experience.”
