Reporter: Sheila May H. Montenegro

1. THE THIRD MILLENNIUM’S CHALLENGES TO THE KNOWLEDGE BUILDERS OF THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGIONBy: Erlinda C. PefiancoPh.D Reporter: Sheila May H. Montenegro

2. The Knowledge Builders • The teacher in the coming information age should not only be a transmitter of facts and figures, but rather a guide in the students quest for learning. • Rather than the sole mediator of information and learning, the teacher may take on various issues, ether as an information seeker, guide or information provider

3. The emerging education landscape

4. 1. The learning continuum is fast becoming borderless, embracing a lifelong dimension, with the pace of the knowledge acquisition described as unprecedented. • The schools and classroom once described as expensive physical plant serving as the only proper place for meaningful learning experience, have been enriched with information, facts and figures delivered and receive through a multitude of means.

5. Attitudes, aptitudes and values are learned not only through the classroom as mediated by the teacher. Various modes can and will be employed to delver the messages, reaching a broad range of audiences.

6. 2. Population growth is fast outpacing the world’s capacity to provide learning opportunities to individuals and groups. Mass participation in education needs to be addressed by the education sector. • One of the problem that need to be addressed in the region is the increasingly getting younger population, with their particular demands and needs.

7. The education system must develop innovative and creative ways to enable young people, lured by the newly-found economic prosperity, to complete basic education and propel themselves to higher levels of specialization.

8. 3. Recognition of prior learning, accreditation and equivalency are approaches that are gaining substantial focus. • Premised on education taking place anytime ,anywhere and in various situations, the learning competencies gained from the practice of a craft, trade or provision of service must be given due recognition and credit.

9. 4. Work-specific and beyond-the-campus strategies deserve the educator’s attention. • New and different modalities for learning and acquiring further education are emerging, and they bear study and evaluation by the education sector. • In-School and Off-School learning systems, community-based delivery and other variants and modalities are being developed and tried out all over the religion.

10. 5. Distance education, open learning and other flexible system are now recognized as having the capacity to provide access to lifelong education opportunities. • Flexible and open learning systems, through their different modalities and means of delivery, are meant to make quality learning and education accessible to all, going beyond the barriers of income, economics, work family responsibilities, distance or disability.

11. Thank you and god bless!