TECHNICAL EDUCATION. The interschool skills competition initiated by Xavier Ateneo - Center for Integrated Technologies during the CIT Days celebration also fosters camaraderie among the teams from different national high schools in the city. Supplied photo.
Report by Rose Ann Gicole
A competition kindled the interest of the students in technical education.
Teams from different national high schools in the city battled against one another in the interschool skills competition initiated by Xavier University - Ateneo de Cagayan’s Center for Integrated Technologies during the CIT Days celebration.
CIT program resource coordinator Oliva Lim, who headed the competition, said that the event was aimed at upholding the importance of real-life application of lessons and at honing the students' technical and interpersonal skills.
“Technical course is not just about fixing things. There’s more. Gaffes can be first noticed by the person who assembled it; its the technician. I believe that a technician plays an important role in the industry,” Lim said.
“People might think that they are just making their hands dirty, but actually, they are the people who are struggling to figure something out and solve the problem,” she added.
The distance from their respective schools to the venue (CIT JCA Technology Complex on Masterson Avenue) didn’t stop the Grade 10 students to participate in the skills competition. It was divided into three areas: Information and Communication Technology (ICT); Electrical Installation and Maintenance (EIM); and Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW), held from February 15 to 17.
“For DepEd, it’s one way to assess the implementation of K to 12 in regards to Technical-Vocational-Livelihood Track. A competition like this would measure the cognitive development of a student, especially in the mental and physical actions involved in knowing and understanding a topic,” Lim said.
Agusan National High School won the championships in both the ICT and EIM, while Balulang NHS emerged victorious in the SMAW.
In her message, CIT director Dr Gilda Brito expressed her gratitude to all the participants of the skills competition.
“To all the winners, allow me to congratulate you on your truly admirable skills that you have shown during the skills competition. You have embraced the challenges with strength, determination, and confidence. You have shown us the spirit of technical education through you,” she said.
“Your hard work and perseverance pay off with success. May today's success will lead you to a greater achievement in the years to come. Congratulations!”
The competition was organized to encourage the students to discover the significance of acquiring technical skills, especially on how to troubleshoot and innovate solutions.
CIT embraces the challenges of K to 12 as it remains committed to forming competent and compassionate Xavier Ateneans.∎
Here's the complete list of winners:
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)
1st Place - Agusan NHS
2nd Place - Carmen NHS
3rd Place - Lumbia NHS
ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE (EIM)
1st Place - Agusan NHS
2nd Place - Gusa NHS
3rd Place - PNROA NHS
SHIELDED METAL ARC WELDING (SMAW)
1st Place - Balulang NHS
2nd Place - Lapasan NHS
3rd Place - Cugman NHS
TECHNICAL SKILLS. Two high school students work together in one of the challenges during the interschool skills competition initiated by Xavier University - Ateneo de Cagayan’s Center for Integrated Technologies during the CIT Days celebration. Supplied photo.