an educational reform agenda

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Copyright 2010 SRi Stratbase Research Institute. All rights reserved.

PUTTING EDUCATION FIRST: An Educational Reform Agenda

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2Globally, various governments recognize the importance of human capital formation in the development process. Countries all over the globe are investing more on education and training in order to improve the competitiveness of their people. It must be noted that no country in Asia or in the world has achieved development status without investing heavily in education and human resource development.

The Philippine government has failed in providing Filipinos with quality and relevant education for the past decades. There has been a peren-nial backlog in classrooms, school facilities, textbooks and instruction materials especially in the countryside. Decades of faulty publications of textbooks have continued to be unaddressed despite efforts to reach lawmakers’ attention1 . Net enrollment rate or participation rate contin-ued to drop while dropout rates have continued to rise over the past years. Graduates, specifically from the public schools, continuously find it difficult to find quality jobs due to their limited skills and competencies.

Moreover, the mutual causality between education and the poverty experienced by Filipino families is undeniable. In the country for example, only 72 percent of Filipino children finished primary schooling2. On the average, only 66 percent of the children who enter Grade One complete Grade Six3. In the poorest regions, barely half manage to do so.

Out of every hundred Filipino children who enter Grade One, only 42 percent graduate from high school and only 25 percent will go to college4. The data of the Department of Education (DepEd)5 alarmingly shows a 6 percent dropout rate for the primary level while 7.45 percent for the secondary level. It has been almost two decades since dropout rates were acceptable at 1.65 percent for the elementary level and only 5.88 percent for high school. A report commissioned by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) echoed the same stand of increased dropouts in the country. Enrollment dropped to 12.03 million for school year 2007 to 2008 from the 12.08 million pupils enrolled in 2006 to 20076. For this school year, DepEd has estimated that 60,000 students from private schools have transferred to public schools due to high tuition fees7.

PUTTING EDUCATION FIRST:An Educational Reform Agenda

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3During the Arroyo regime, dropout rates consistently climbed up. This increase is owed to her administration under which public schools became worse. According to Antonio Tinio, Chairman of Alliance of Concerned Teach-ers (ACT), the largest non-traditional teachers’ organiza-tion in the country, “the main reason (for the dropout rates) is poverty.”8 The unpredictable increase in prices of goods and the lack of jobs in the country further inflict the already strained situation of Filipinos—balancing daily sustenance or survival and the importance of education.

With more than 86 percent of the student population is dependent on the public school system9, putting focus on reforming and upgrading basic education will serve as the government’s most potent strategy to propel sustainable growth and development with social equity. The 2008/2009 Philippine Human Development Report (PHDR) has emphasized in its recent study that “deeper than policies and larger than individuals, it is the institu-tions that structure behavior which matter deeply for whether human development advances or not10.” By saving our public schools, Filipinos will not only reverse the decades-long neglect of our educational system but also cut the vicious cycle that has condemned children of poor and uneducated parents to beget poor and uneducated children themselves.

It is very important that our people’s education should be reoriented and geared towards domestic employ-ment-led growth through skill-intensive technologies for greater productivity. Educational priorities in the public sector should focus on promoting quality learning and skill upgrading among the poorer sector of Philippine society; and greater access for the poor to quality and relevant education to ensure their empowerment as individual members of society.

To achieve this, greater access to quality and relevant education must aggressively be pursued through proper and relevant education and training, which will eventually lead to quality and high paying jobs for Filipinos. The government needs to ensure that majority of the Filipinos are amply provided with the necessary basic education to develop and empower themselves. Through the expansion of educational and skills training opportunities especially for marginalized members of Philippine society, the country’s productivity will improve and sustainable growth and development can be attained.

The people should be given the learning tools to help themselves. The unequal distribution of human capital caused by inequalities in education is the worst form of inequality. Spending on education is the most productive public investment any Government can make—because to educate a child is to save a man.

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4

Empowerment Arises from Education

A strong educational foundation empowers the individual to unleash his capacity to improve one’s life and that of one’s family. According to the DepEd, this school year, 86 percent11 of 20.17 million elementary and high school students12 – and their families – will continue to hope that the education they will get from our public schools can enable them to eventually break the crippling bonds of poverty. Poverty reduction is all about expanding the options that people have in life. Education is all about enabling people to explore, create, and seize options. This is the public education’s most daunting challenge, and one which government cannot face alone. It takes the multi-sectors --- State, Business, and Civic Sector --- to work together and maximize their strengths and competencies.

It is a given that there has been no country in the world that has developed without investing heavily in education and human capital. The Philippine educational system, however, continues year in and year out to be hounded by the same inefficiencies and problems over the past decades. Issues aforementioned such as poor infrastructure and poor quality

of instruction continue to plague our public basic educational system. There are several key reforms that can and should be immediately addressed in this sector to save the school system and ensure the competitiveness of every citizen in a knowledge-based and information-driven world.

Everyone must make the best use of the country’s main asset: It’s the talented and adaptable manpower. The young people should be equipped with the kind of education essential for the Knowledge World.

In the future, there will be fewer and fewer jobs for the uneducated and the unskilled. The income gap is already visible between the unschooled and the educated. Jobs are declining in the traditional manufacturing industries, which once paid even semiskilled workers decent wages. At the same time, job demand is rising for young people with high skills in service and manufacturing industries.

But families trapped in marginal occupations cannot educate their children for the higher skills the economy needs. Thus, ignorance perpetuates itself.

A revolution in education is paramount given the challenges of globalization, a revolution on lifetime learning and our education stakeholders are at its wings. It is a revolution that fights for quality education for all public elementary and secondary schools; and access and relevance for technical and tertiary educational institutions. There is the need to envision an educational system that values love and concern for family, community and country; education that goes beyond the basics and empowers citizens with purpose, vision, and skills and

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5offers life-long opportunities. The expansion of educational and skills training opportunities for the poor in the public school system improves the country’s productivity and sets the proper tone for sustained economic growth and development.

There is a need to focus the nation’s attention and limited government appropriations on uplifting the quality of basic education and saving the public schools. Too long have children of poor families suffered due to lack of classrooms, teachers, textbooks, and other necessary materials for them to learn.

Equalizing reforms or affirmative action against poverty is necessary and should be undertaken. To reduce poverty and make people prosper, first and foremost, give the people the learning tools to help themselves. Literacy, technological training, and formal education are seen as means out of poverty for the Filipino people.

The decline in the quality of education in public schools in the past decades aggravates the plight of the students from the poorer regions in the country. It deprives them of the opportunities to improve their lives, as well as that of their families. Today, almost 3.1 million Filipinos are unemployed, accounting for 8.0 percent unemployment rate; while 6.3 million are underemployed or a rate of 17.8 percent13. It is imperative that all the graduates, especially from the public schools, be given quality education because it will serve as their primary livelihood tool so as to bring about a better life for their families.

To put education first and save our schools and save our nation’s future, it is imperative for the government to introduce the following reforms:

A. Education Budget Reforms to Ensure Maximum Provision for Basic Education

The DepEd continues to receive the highest budget among all the departments as mandated by the Constitution, though it still falls below

international standards-- other countries allot 6 percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) for education expenditures; whereas, the Philippines education budget only accounts for 2 percent of the GDP. A P172.84-billion budget, P18 billion less of the original P190-budget proposed, has been allotted to the Department for this year. However the distribution of this budget is unable to address the pressing problems of the public education system. The biggest percentage of its annual budget goes to its personnel services. For this year, P141 billion14 of the budget of the DepEd goes to the payment of salaries and other personnel benefits. Only P22 billion15 is reserved for maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) (which includes school operating budgets and expenses for teacher training, textbooks, and desks) and P12 billion16 for its capital outlay (which include the construction of school buildings and purchase of laboratory and IT equipment).

Given this proportionate distribution of budget, there is very little room for implementation of developmental projects and operational expenses directly related to the improvement of the learning process in classrooms. According to the Global Education Digest 2008 of the United Nations

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6laboratory equipment, and in-service teacher training if we truly intend to save the public schools.

The goal should be to establish a complete elementary school in every barangay and a complete high school in every town. There is a need to pursue a massive school building program nationwide for more than 1,500 additional classrooms nationwide18. Also, to be able to live up to international standards for school year 2010-2011, backlogs in book printing, desk manufacturing, and teaching hiring are all immediate needs. In the previous school year, the public schools require 63,178,377 textbooks19 and other instruction materials yet only 30,129,200 are funded. Three million school desks are also badly needed20. The backlog is 4.56 million, yet the P1 billion budget allocation can cover merely an estimated 1.5 million. The most crucial need would be the hiring of additional teachers. There is a need for 39,762 teachers but only 10,000 can be covered and funded under the allotted 2009 budget21.

This school year, according to Mr. Tinio, there is a shortage of 54,060 teachers, 61,343 classrooms, 816,291 chairs and 113,051 water and sani-tation facilities. Other youth groups contested DepEd’s data and claimed that the public school system is short of 34.7 million textbooks22.

The daunting objective of dealing with the huge backlog in basic educa-tion resources may be dealt with in the next three years and cope with the increase in enrollment. This one-time P30 billion added expenditure program can put an end to the perennial basic education backlog.

In the last State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the Philippine Education System has been boasted as to be the “great equalizer that allows every young Filipino a chance to realize their dreams.” She enumerated that 95,000 classrooms have been built, additional 60,000 teachers have been employed, P1.5 billion have been allotted for teacher training, especially for 100,000 English teachers. Behind these numbers are the realities that priorities have been mis-placed and budgets have been misallocated. The Philippines Business for Education (PBEd), an organization working towards education reform,

Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)17, the country has the lowest budget allotted per student as a percentage of the gross domestic product (GDP) in comparison to Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia. What is needed is an increase in the National Budget Allocation for Basic Education to 6 percent of GNP and the spending for basic education from 17 percent to 20 percent of the National Budget, which is comparable to East Asian neighbors like Singapore, Hong Kong, and Malaysia.

There is a decreasing trend in the growth of the budget for basic education even though enrollment in public schools has been steadily increasing. There is a need to spend more money for the public schools than in the educational bureaucracy. With the increase of budgetary allocation and the provision of a special fund, the quality of education will be continually upgraded to meet international standards and trends. It is absolutely necessary that a one-time P30 billion Special Education Fund for Basic Education be provided to build more schools and classrooms, reduce class size, hire enough teachers, and address all other backlogs. All of these are required to raise the quality standards through cost effective inputs like textbooks, library material,

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7has questioned23 the existing 95,000 classrooms that were built in non-priority schools. The P1.5 budget supposedly for training has not been utilized fully where some teachers complain of lack of funds. All these numbers have been manipulated to serve political whims.

We cannot allow this situation to continue.

B. Democratizing School Governance: Education Management Innovation through School-Community and School-Industry Linkages

We must institutionalize school empowerment and accountability mechanisms by empowering local school heads, teachers, and other education stakeholders at the community level to improve their schools and embrace innovative ideas through the mandated creation of School Advisory/Governance Councils in every elementary and secondary school, and the promotion of provisions of R.A. 9115 or the Governance of Basic Education. There is a need to reduce the bureaucratic and regu-latory burden on public schools that limits the capacity of school heads to govern effectively and encourage every school to develop a mission ethos for higher standards. School heads should have the power and should be provided the resources to run their schools autonomously and, in return, will be responsible for school performance and account-able for their student achievement levels.

With autonomy and greater power, school heads would be able to achieve the following:

a. lead their respective schools in a way that student learning and continuing teacher training are its key focuses; b. hold teachers responsible for student learning and performance;

c. challenge and provide opportunities for teachers to think, plan, and work collectively towards school learning goals; and

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8d. institutionalize participatory school governance by sharing decision-making with parents, teachers and the community; as well as establish linkages or partnerships between schools and communities and the private sector.

To ensure accountability of school heads and governance councils, clearly defined national standards, performance indicators/targets and educational outcomes must be set by the DepEd.

Another notable program is the Third Elementary Education Project (TEEP) which is being implemented by DepEd with financial support from the World Bank and OECF. TEEP aims to tap LGUs in sharing the cost of school building program particularly through their Engineering Offices. Parent-Teachers Associations (PTAs) also play an increased role as schools become “empowered” and elect a School Management Advisory Committee. NGOs will likewise be mobilized behind the advocacy campaigns, training, school construction and the yearly performance audit of this project.

C. Partnering with the Private Sector: Institutionalizing Alternative Resource Mobilization

The task of preparing the Filipino public school students for the challenges of the knowledge-based world cannot be achieved by the government alone. Educating the youth today – under the present socio-economic, political, and moral conditions of the nation – must be everybody’s concern. How well Filipinos do this collective job will have profound consequences not only on the economic well-being of every

In line with this direction, it is essential to promote various public-private sector partnerships for enhanced education service delivery through a revitalized Adopt-a-School Program. It is an innovative and pro-poor program of the DepEd which gives the opportunity for private institutions and individuals to become partners in education by providing assistance to public elementary and high schools.

The concept of multiple partnerships has something to do with the strengthening of linkages between the public and private sector. Private sector initiatives and civil society facilitation backed by national and local government support and legitimacy, ensure a greater rate of impact and effectiveness when it comes to the implementation of an educational project or program. According to the recent study of the World Bank, “the main rationale for developing public private partnerships (PPPs) in education is to maximize the potential for expanding equitable access to schooling and for improving education outcomes, especially for marginalized groups.”24 An example would be harnessing the competencies and capacities of the private sector to manage and operate public schools25; private participa-tion in public education may also be enhanced through institutionalizing a National System Of School Vouchers.

D. Enhancing Teacher Training and Welfare for Quality Education

It is a requisite for quality education to enhance the quality of teaching instructions through an extensive pre-service and in-service training program and education, as well as provisions of incentives for the teachers26. We need to recognize that the teachers form the backbone

Filipino, but also on the future of the nation.

The government can provide more educational resourc-es for public schools if they can develop cooperative ventures between the Education Department and other education stakeholders. It is essential that they build their credibility, enhance their competence, and expand their network of partners to mobilize additional resources for

public education. In resource mobilization, we appeal to the hearts as we appeal to the head and try to build a harmonious relationship with our partners. It also means bringing partners into our schools and giving them a “sense of shared responsibility or ownership” in the outcome of Philippine public education. It is also essential that we continuously improve the image of DepEd as an institution to get the support of the major stakeholders of education.

With more than 86 percent of the student population is dependent on

the public school system, putting focus on reforming and upgrading basic education will serve as the

government’s most potent strategy to propel sustainable growth and

development with social equity.

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9of the educational system. To motivate them to work more effectively, it is a must to:

a) develop policy interventions focused on improving teaching competencies and practices;

b) equip teachers through in service training inter-ventions with current trends in teaching methodolo-gies;

c) introduce and institutionalize an incentive mecha-nism for outstanding teachers who can develop highly competent and high-performing students; d) develop a culture of excellence and professional-ism among teachers;

e) increase drastically budgetary allocations for teacher training and development; and

f) increase budgetary support for key tertiary teacher training institutions.

To ensure quality education, the government should correct the years of neglect of teachers under different administrations. With the passage of the Salary Standardization Law (SSL) III, teachers are guaranteed a 6,000-thousand peso increase in their monthly pay at the entry level. Aside from this, teachers with specialization in Science or Math will receive a salary increase three steps higher than their assigned salary grade27. This prioritiza-tion of the government would raise the quality of classroom teachers by motivating them through increase of provisions for their welfare in terms of health insurance, support services, study leaves, and continuing education scholarships.

For a longtime, our teachers have not been given the importance and attention in spite of their utmost dedication and commitment to shape the minds of our youth. They are the “real heroes” of our society which deserve recognition and respect.

E. Bridging the Digital Divide in Education: Modernization through Education Technology

Experience dictates that the Education Department cannot solve all the problems in public education through conventional or traditional approaches alone. Alternative strategies and delivery mechanisms need to be put in place to fast-track the achievement of department goals of academic excellence; universal access to quality basic education and bridging the Digital Divide.

For this purpose there is a need to radically and mean-ingfully modernize the public schools through a Com-prehensive School Modernization Program focused on Information and Communication Technology provisions and interventions that will ensure higher standards in English, Math, Science and Educational Technology, as well as better progression from basic education to the post secondary and tertiary levels. It should be the objective of this program to provide teachers and students with adequate information technology skills to strengthen learning and produce graduates who can competitively pursue any field of endeavor.

The global economic integration has led to greater competition in the world market, thus demanding for a more intensive skills build-up. There is a demand for new types of skills and competencies to compete in new

industries and the global market. The government should not be satisfied until every student will leave basic education with the critical skills essential in an information-driven and knowledge-based society.

Under this comprehensive program the government should be committed to extend access to educational technology for students and teachers. There is a need to put up computer laboratories in every public high school in the country and conduct a massive computer training program for teachers. Promotion of computer literacy at the elementary and secondary levels through public-private sector partnerships and cooperation agreements are also necessary.

In order to answer the resounding call of the next century for more emphasis on Science and Technology education, we need to upgrade present curricula through greater emphasis on research-based education in S&T and provide greater access to Science and Technology Scholarships to the poorer sectors of society.

To cope with the growing demand in the world market, there is a need to introduce information technology in our educational system particularly in our public schools. DepEd has already hatched the idea of a an ICT infrastructure goal by revitalizing the Comprehensive Computer Education Program which aims to put up computer laboratories in every public high school in the country and conduct massive com-puter training for the teachers. The local community, civic groups and Local School board will be encouraged to play an active role in the implementation of this program. A parallel program which has commenced in the latter part of 2009, have already targeted a 91,155 computer units to be given out in public high schools.

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10The remaining budget from last year’s allocation and the 2010 budget will be used to roll out all these computers to the remaining 2,830 high schools out of 6,650 not yet connected to the Internet28.

Expand access of Education Technology or students in the most remote areas of the country and in underserved communities through a Digital Satellite Highway or the implementation of a Distance Learning via satellite technology. The use of technology as a cur-riculum tool encourages self-directed learning that occurs in an active, rather than passive environment. Education Technology could be used in the design development, utilization, management and evaluation process as well as resources for teaching and learning. According to the Common Wealth by Jeffrey Sachs, well renowned de-velopment economist and author of The End of Poverty, education and training brought to far-flung areas, inhibited by modernization, is one of the eight contributions of ICT. Students hindered by territorial incapacity of receiving quality education can be participants in global classrooms, lectures and trainings. The advent of both television and Internet has made these activities happen. Video conferencing, social networking and online broadcast-ing have made a difference to the previously centralized and digitally divided country such as the Philippines29. The local PTCA, community civic groups, and Local School Boards should be encouraged to play an active role in the implementation of this comprehensive program that is critical in addressing the digital divide.

F. Promoting Universal Literacy

Today as in the past there is a need to provide young and old Filipinos with literacy and numeracy by:

a. increasing efficiency and accessibility of Alternative Learning Systems through barangay based systems;

b. developing literacy and numeracy strategies for our out-of-school youths and illiterate adults;

c. encouraging volunteerism for non-formal education; and

d. fully implementing an Early Childhood Care Program at the community level to bridge the educational divide.

Final Word

Education is a major instrument for economic and social development. For the past decade, numerous efforts have been exerted to achieve the elusive economic growth. Echoing the recommendations of the recently concluded conference of the Joint Foreign Chambers of the Philippines30, education in the country should be vastly improved because rapid economic progress is not possible without a well-educated workforce. The National Government Budget should substantially allot for higher wages for teachers, investments on school facilities and continuous training of instructors.

Hopefully the new government through the education department can be more aggressive and persistent in pursuing educational reforms. Education is the true essence of human development. Without education, development cannot be sustained.

Endnotes:

1 State of Textbooks: Still Faulty, Says Go. By Jarius Bondoc. The Philippine Star, Updated on August 28, 20092 2008/2009 Philippine Human Development Network (PHDN) entitled Institutions, Politics and Human Development. Chapter Two entitled When Reforms Don’t Transform: Reflections on institutional reforms in the Department of Education Department of Education: When

reforms don’t transform. Launched on May 20, 2009 at Crowne Plaza Galleria Manila Hotel.3 Mocon, Claudeth. (2010) Sorrow in our schools. Business Mirror. June 12, 2010.4 Mocon, Claudeth. (2010) Sorrow in our schools. Business Mirror. June 12, 2010. 5 Cited in Another Shamefil Arroyo Legacy: Highest Dropout Rates in Years by Bulatlat, posted in June 6, 20096 Cited from DepEd hit over freight cost, dropout crisis, Manila Times, May 24, 20097 Mocon, Claudeth. (2010) Sorrow in our schools. Business Mirror. June 12, 2010.8 Another Shameful Arroyo Legacy: Highest Dropout Rates in Years by Bulatlat, posted on June 6, 20099 Mocon, Claudeth. (2010) Sorrow in our schools. Business Mirror. June 12, 2010.10 2008/2009 Philippine Human Development Network (PHDN) entitled Institutions, Politics and Human Development. Chapter Two entitled When Reforms Don’t Transform: Reflections on institutional reforms in the Department of Education Department of Education: When re-forms don’t transform. Launched on May 20, 2009 at Crowne Plaza Galleria Manila Hotel11 Mocon, Claudeth. (2010) Sorrow in our schools. Business Mirror. June 12, 201012 DepEd welcomes students to SY 2009-2010 released on May 31, 200913 Employment rate registered at 92.0 Percent in April 2010, results from the April 2010 Labor Force Survey (LFS) by the National Statistics Office (NSO), released on June 15, 201014 Republic of the Philippines, Republic Act No. 9970, General Appropriations Act Fiscal Year 2010, Department of Education, Office of the Secretary; Department of Budget and Manage-ment (DBM)15 Republic of the Philippines, Republic Act No. 9970, General Appropriations Act Fiscal Year 2010, Department of Education, Office of the Secretary; Department of Budget and Manage-ment (DBM)16 Republic of the Philippines, Republic Act No. 9970, General Appropriations Act Fiscal Year 2010, Department of Education, Office of the Secretary; Department of Budget and Manage-ment (DBM)17 Global Education Digest 2008: Comparing Education Statistics Across the World. United Na-tions Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Published on December 31, 200818 DepED 2009 Budget Deprives 3M Students of Seats, abs-cbn news.com/Newsbreak, Septem ber 11, 200819 DepED 2009 Budget Deprives 3M Students of Seats, abs-cbn news.com/Newsbreak, Sep-tember 11, 200820 DepED 2009 Budget Deprives 3M Students of Seats, abs-cbn news.com/Newsbreak, Sep-tember 11, 200821 DepED 2009 Budget Deprives 3M Students of Seats, abs-cbn news.com/Newsbreak, Sep-tember 11, 200822 Mocon, Claudeth. (2010) Sorrow in our schools. Business Mirror. June 12, 2010.23 A Statement from Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) entitled Final SONA of PGMA reinforces call for Education President released on August 18, 2009.24 Patrinos, Harry Anthony, Barrera-Osorio, Felipe and Guáqueta, Juliana. The Role and Impact of Public-Private Partnerships in Education. World Bank. 30 March 2009.25 Patrinos, Harry Anthony, Barrera-Osorio, Felipe and Guáqueta, Juliana. The Role and Impact of Public-Private Partnerships in Education. World Bank. 30 March 2009.26 2008/2009 Philippine Human Development Network (PHDN) entitled Institutions, Politics and Human Development. Chapter Two entitled When Reforms Don’t Transform: Reflections on institutional reforms in the Department of Education Department of Education: When re-forms don’t transform, page 4. Launched on May 20, 2009 at Crowne Plaza Galleria Manila Hotel.27 President Arroyo Approves Salary Standardization Law. June 18, 200928 Estopace, D.D. (2010) DepEd allots 2009, 2010 budgets fro computers. Business Mirror. March 29, 2010.29 The End of Poverty: How we can make it Happen in our lifetime by Jeffrey Sachs. 200530 Joint Foreign chamber Press Conference entitled Impact of the Global Economic Crisis on the Philippines: Preparing to Rebuild Foreign Investment Inflows (Analysis and Comments of the Joint Foreign Chamber in the Philippines. Held at the Dusit Thani Hotel, Makati City on June 1, 2009.

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