Seeing the need to bring the task of education where it properly belongs, they formed a foundation whose main corporate objective is to build schools where their educational philosophy can be operationalized. The entity was aptly named "PARENTS FOR EDUCATION FOUNDATION, INC." or "PAREF". One year later, PAREF gave birth to its first child, Woodrose, a school for girls that began operations in New Manila, with Grades One to Five. The school later moved to its definitive location within Ayala Alabang Village.
In 1992, the initial step towards a boy's school in Quezon City was taken with the opening of Northridge Preparatory School along Mother Ignacia Street, South Triangle Homes, Diliman. Northridge became Rosefield preparatory School in 1994 on account of having the same name as an existing school. One year after, the parents of Quezon City saw the birth of a school for their boys, Northfield. Both schools are now located in Kamuning area. God willing, Northfield can move to its new site next year in the open space of Greenmeadows III.
With the transfer of a pioneer parent of Rosemont to Cebu, Southcrest came into being in 1994 to the delight of many Cebuanos. Its tandem school, Springdale, was inaugurated the year after. In the light of our desire to lay the groundwork for the expansion in China, inauguration of the first Chinese School took place in 1997. Aptly named "Yu Ming" which means "bright and cheerful", the school opened in Mandaluyong offering preparatory programs. Twenty-five years after, PAREF is already a big family
with eleven children having a total combined assets of P476,000,000.00;
current enrollment level at 4,187 coming from 3,166 families; teaching
force of 402; non-teaching staff of 239. With PAREF's existence
spanning 25 years, we have graduated 1,799 students; most of whom
are already engaged in the world of work. These are the people whose
lives we have touched; whose minds and hearts we continue to form
in the hope of positively transforming society from within.
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In
1976, a group of parents gathered together to address the challenge
of the times: the integral education of their children with the
twin thrust of academic excellence and sound character formation.
Inspired by the teachings of Blessed Josemaria Escriva, it became
their conviction that the proper education of their children is
best realized through the integral formation of parents first, and
secondly of the teachers--the two most important agents of child
education. With these two (2) sectors properly attended to, the
holistic formation of children will come as a natural consequence.
This educational philosophy, in turn, is anchored on the Christian
teaching that education of children is, first and foremost, the
responsibility of parents.
In
1979, Southridge was born. Nestled in a three hectare property in
Hillsborough Subdivision of Muntinlupa, the school opened its door
to boys entering Grades One to Seven. With the two schools catering
to almost the same set of families Woodrose and Southridge became
known as the PAREF Tandem Schools offering Primary, Intermediate
and Secondary Education programs.
The
Preparatory schools became part of the PAREF family with the inception
of Rosemont in 1986. Originally housed in Woodrose, it started operating
in its own building in 1988 beside Woodrose.
With
the growing demand for the kind of education PAREF offers, Ridgefield
Preparatory School was opened in 1990 in a new building within the
Southridge campus. As the natural entry point to Woodrose and Southridge,
Rosemont and Ridgefield became known as the "Alabang Preparatory
Schools".
In
the year 1990, another preparatory school named Rosehill was inaugurated
in new Manila, Quezon City to cater to the needs of the families
living in the North. With the offer of a land donation, the school
moved to its permanent home in Mission Hills, Antipolo, in year
1993. At that time, it offered Grades 1 and 2 for girls.
Westbridge
School in Iloilo, catering to high school boys, was the first PAREF
school to be opened in the province. Inaugurated in 1992 in the
boathouse of the Lopez family, it transferred to its permanent site
in 1997 in Magsaysay Village, La Paz, Iloilo City. The school is
now open to both grade school and high school.