- National Schools Press Conference
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Logo of the National Schools Press Conference
The National Schools Press Conference (NSPC) is the highest competition for journalism in both private schools and public elementary and high schools in the pinas. Established in the year 1991 in pursuant to the Secretary. 1 Rule IX of Republic Act 7079 also known as Campus Journalism Act of 1991. The press conference includes both students from the elementary and secondary level and is usually held in February.
The journalism contest starts with the District Schools Press Conference (DSPC) where the top five in the Division Schools Press Conference (DSPC) in each category qualifies to the Regional Schools Press Conference (RSPC), from which the top three jwill be chosen to represent their respective regions in the Regional Schools Press Conference (RSPC). However, this structure would still depend on the organizing committees to ensure a higher standard for the campus journalists.
The top 3 in the Regional Schools Press Conference (RSPC)[1] will qualify for the National Schools Press Conference.
Contents
History
In November 1931, the Public Secondary Schools Press Association (PSSPA) had its first convention in what was then Pasig, Rizal. The PSSPA was founded by a high school principal, Ricardo Castro, and had 17 original member schools. During this first convention, writing competitions for the different sections of a school paper were held. The tradition continued year after year, as the number of member-schools increased, with different parts of Luzon as venues. After World War II, the PSSPA was reorganized and 49 member-schools participated in the National Convention held in Manila,Philippines.
By 1955, the PSSPA Convention had become the National Secondary Schools Press Conference. On January 10 and 11 of that year, 70 member-schools attended the conference at Bacolod City. The individual competitions were open to all members, while the group competitions were held according to category. Group A for the group competitions was composed of those member-schools with populations of 1,500 and above, while Group B was composed of those member-schools with populations below 1,500. At that same conference, the National Secondary Schools Press Advisers Association was organized and it then passed a resolution calling for the authorization of staff members to handle school paper funds, subject to accounting. The resolution was subsequently approved by the Bureau of Public Schools.
In 1957, a third group classification was added. Group A members were schools with over 3,000 population; Group B members had populations ranging from 1,500 to below 3,000; while Group C members had below 1,500 population. During this year, the conference was held for a longer time, enabling the delegates to take part in longer educational tours of the host locality. A year later, the group classifications were again reorganized, placing schools with over 2,000 population in Group A, those with 1,000 to 2,000 population in Group B, and those with less than 1,000 in Group C. During this year, a Public School Circular was passed authorizing the solicitations of advertisements for school papers, under certain conditions.
In 1991, Republic Act No. 7079, or the Campus Journalism Act, aiming to promote campus journalism, was passed by Congress. The 50th National Secondary Schools Press Conference was held in early 1993 at Rizal High School in Pasig, the same locality that hosted the first PSSPA Convention. The next school year, 1993-1994, elementary schools were included in the convention, causing the word "secondary" to be dropped and the convention to be called the "National Schools Press Conference".
In December 1993, the National Schools Press Conference was to be held in Koronadal, South Cotabato for the first time. However, a week before the convention, when all preparations had been made and the host schools and municipalities were awaiting the arrival of the delegates, there was a bombing incident at Isulan, Sultan Kudarat. The Secretary of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports at that time, Armand Fabella, declared this sufficient grounds to move the convention to Baguio City, prompting a storm of protest from then South Cotabato Governor Hilario de Pedro III, who had been one of the sponsors of the Campus Journalism Act when he was Representative of the 2nd District of South Cotabato, and then Representative Daisy Avance-Fuentes. This controversy caused the Southern Mindanao delegation to boycott the Baguio conference. Shortly afterwards, Ricardo Gloria replaced Fabella as Education Secretary, and in December 1994 the 52nd National Schools Press Conference was held at Koronadal National Comprehensive High School. In its 65th year, the annual NSPC was held at Koronadal City in South Cotabato.
Young campus journalists during the awarding ceremonyNSPC Venue
The official venue of the National Schools Press Conference for 2012 is 'Puerto Princesa City, Palawan'.It will take place on April 11-15, 2012.
The previous hosts of the NSPC were Butuan City, Tagum City in Davao del Norte, Naga City in Camarines Sur, Koronadal City in South Cotabato[2], Baguio City in Benguet, Kalibo in Aklan, Surigao City in Surigao del Norte, Laguna, Lapu-lapu City in Cebu, General Santos City and Dagupan City. The contest is scheduled annually in the middle of the month of February recently under DepEd Order 26 s. 2010 it was moved to the second week of April synchronizing all the culminating activities in all competitions as "Festival of Talents".
Training and Development
Students who will compete in the National Schools Press Conference attend seminars before the actual competition. There will be a "Tagisan ng Talino", a competition about current events. Preparation for the NSPC starts at the Division Level with the Division Schools Press Conference (DSPC). The editorial members of campus papers in a division compete in English or Filipino in different categories. The top three winners for each category in each language medium are then qualified for the Regional Level. The same rules apply at the Regional Schools Press Conference.
Contest Category English Filipino Individual News Writing Pagsulat ng Balita Editorial Cartooning Paglalarawang Tudling Editorial Writing Pagsulat ng Pangulong-Tudling Feature Writing Pagsulat ng Tanging Lathalain Sports Writing Pagsulat ng Balitang Pampalakasan Copyreading and Headline Writing Pagwawasto at Pag-uulo ng Balita Photojournalism Pagkuha ng Larawang Pampahayagan Group Radio Broadcasting & Script Writing Ulat Panradyo School Paper Making Contest Categories for English: Mga Kategorya sa Paggawa ng Dyaryo sa Filipino: Editorial Page Pahinang Editoryal Feature/Literary Page Pahinang Lathalain News Page Pahinang Balita Sports Page Pahinang Isports Layout Page Design Pahinang Pag-aanyo Formerly, each division sent to the RSPC ten contestants per category for both English and Filipino languages. The region then sent its top five winners per category for both mediums to the NSPC. An individual contestant could participate in a maximum of three individual competitions provided that the schedules for these competitions did not conflict with one another. The awards garnered by these contestants who participated in multiple events were then given equivalent points and added up to determine who would receive the award for the highest individual pointer in each language medium.
On October 6, 1999, however, Education Secretary Andrew Gonzales issued DECS Memorandum No. 437, Series of 1999, which stated that a contestant could participate in only two events and in only one medium provided that the two events did not conflict with each other. [4] This was amended in 2002 with the issuance of Department of Education Memorandum No. 4, Series of 2002, on January 11, 2002, by Education Secretary Raul Roco. DM No. 4 provided that a pupil or student could participate in a maximum of four events but in only one medium, and that there should be seven winners for every category from every region.
The News Reporting and Desktop Publishing categories were first introduced in 2003, with a demonstration having been held at the previous year's NSPC. The DepEd memorandum for this same year states that a student may opt to participate in as many categories as he is able within the same medium provided there are no conflicts in the schedule. However, in 2004, only the News Reporting category was retained.
The 2012 National Press Conference.
See also
References
- ^ RSPC highest pointer,Regional Schools Press Conference, Visayan Daily Star January 09, 2008 edition
- ^ NSPC 2008 @ Koronal,Victory at National Schools Press Conference, Star Life March 02, 2008 edition
Student newspapers in the Philippines 
Adamson University - The Adamson Chronicle • Ateneo de Manila University – The GUIDON, Matanglawin • De La Salle University – The LaSallian • De La Salle University-Dasmariñas – Heraldo Filipino • Divine Word College of Calapan – The DWCC Gazette • University of the City of Manila – Ang Pamantasan • Saint Louis University - White and Blue • Silliman University – The Weekly Sillimanian • Trinity University of Asia – Trinity Observer • Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan – The Crusader Publication • University of the Philippines Diliman – The Philippine Collegian • University of Santo Tomas – The Varsitarian • University of St. La Salle – The Spectrum, The Lead Magazine
Categories:- Student newspapers published in the Philippines
- Education in the Philippines
- Competitions
- Writing contests
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