Gokongwei Foundation Brings Khan Academy Platform To Pinoy Learners

Great news for parents!

The Gokongwei Brothers Foundation (GBF) has partnered with Khan Academy, a non-profit educational organization, to help bring a global educational technology platform to more Filipino learners. GBF, a major private provider of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) scholarships in the Philippines, sees Khan Academy as a crucial partner in elevating learning in the country through its globally recognized tool.

^{Atty. Geraldine Acuna-Sunshine, Lance Gokongwei, and Lisa Y. Gokongwei-Cheng during the Gokongwei Brothers and Khan Academy Philippines partnership launch}

Gokongwei Brothers Foundation partners with Khan Academy Philippines for better education

Founded in 2008 by financial analyst Sal Khan, Khan Academy focuses on closing learning gaps with differentiated learning across various subjects. 

Over 4 million learners in the Philippines are already using or have used Khan Academy, as supplemental learning for higher education and private school students. 

Khan Academy Philippines, as its first international franchisee, aims to localize content and align it with the Department of Education (DepEd)'s curriculum through a team of local educators.

Here are the other features of Khan Academy Philippines:

• Teacher's Tech Assistant, which addresses inadequate training and teacher support
• Student tutor with individualized learning, that is customizable, Filipinized, and fun
•  Data resource on skills mastery, to address lack of real-time data for effective intervention

What is the context of this partnership?

Recent data has shown that there is a crisis in Philippine education. Filipino students aged 15 are reported to have poor creative thinking skills, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Last December, the 2022 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) revealed that the Philippines is at the bottom 10 out of 81 countries in the areas of reading comprehension, mathematics, and science.

Lance Gokongwei, Chairman of the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation, emphasized during the launch that the objective of making quality education accessible to all is one that the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation has always championed, "GBF’s goal is to have a lasting impact on education, as part of our contribution to nation building. We continue to educate our next generation, so they have the proper skills necessary when they enter the workforce, to help contribute to our nation’s progress."

^{Lance Gokongwei, Chairman, Gokongwei Brothers Foundation}

"GBF’s approach has always been to work through partners because it is only through such multi-disciplined teamwork that such a challenge can be solved," said Lisa Gokongwei-Cheng, General Manager, Gokongwei Brothers Foundation. "The crisis is deep and wide but can be solved together," she said. 

While Khan Academy is a valuable tool, it is not a cure-all for the educational challenges in the Philippines, says Atty. Geraldine Acuña-Sunshine, CEO of Khan Academy Philippines. Nevertheless, she is firm that giving more Filipino learners access to this cutting-edge technology would not only address our educational crisis, but also build "classrooms of the future."

"It's very accessible and it's free. Aside from that, talagang malaking tulong ang Khan Academy, even me as a parent, natuto din ako." —April Ann S. Sumala, parent of a Khan Academy user

Atty. Acuña-Sunshine explained, "Khan Academy can provide a safety net for students who cannot easily get to school but who, with a simple smartphone and internet access, want to continue learning outside regular school hours and want to strengthen their skills competency in a range of top-rated courses that are available to them for free."

How can this partnership benefit my child?

During its pilot program in August 2023, Khan Academy Philippines launched in 34 schools across nine cities: Quezon City, Mandaluyong, Manila, Marikina, Makati, Pasig, Pasay, Las Piñas, and Dumaguete City. It involved onboarding Math teachers, training them on platform usage, and guiding students in Grade 4 math lessons.

It included 71 Math teachers, 3,250 students, and 600 parents. Feedback indicated the platform aided lesson mastery, increased student engagement, and boosted interest in Math.

Mary Ann Rose Merino, a parent of a student from Pres. Corazon C. Aquino Elementary School in Quezon City, said Khan Academy Philippines helps her feel less guilty about being unable to teach her child. Another parent, April Ann S. Sumala, recommends it for others to try, "It's very accessible and it's free. Aside from that, talagang malaking tulong ang Khan Academy, even me as a parent, natuto din ako."

For school year 2024-2025, Khan Academy Philippines plans to expand to more schools, include more elementary Math courses aligned with DepEd, introduce the AI-powered teaching assistant Khanmigo, and propose teacher certification courses.

“When we started using Khan Academy, my workload lessened because there were videos and exercises that were readily available. My teaching became easier. I also noticed that my students were more excited and engaged with the lessons,” said Cynthia Martin, a teacher at San Joaquin Elementary School in Pasig City.

It's important to note that Khan Academy Philippines' resources include both the US curriculum and the Matatag Curriculum. Atty. Acuña-Sunshine said, "DepEd is our most important partner. Because we cannot do this without DepEd, especially since we are going into public schools. There are also private schools that have approached us as  interested parties. But DepEd is our number one partner. That's why we're so thrilled to have our new secretary, Secretary Angara, because I really feel like he will do a good job. 

She continued, "We have been working with DepEd, national, regional, and local already to align curriculum and to provide Philippine curriculum alongside US curriculum. That's the goal. Because it really needs to be Filipinized, otherwise we won't be able to utilize it. It won't be as helpful. There's a way we learn and it has to be on there. At the same time we will keep US curriculum on there as well. So you can have both."

Through the support of the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation and other organizations, Khan Academy Philippines' ultimate goal is to reach 1 million learners by the end of 2026. 

If you are interested in joining the One Million Kids Khan Do It Campaign, please connect with Khan Philippines Academy on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), or on its website at www.khanacademyphilippines.org.