the philippine new education highway

THE PHILIPPINE NEW EDUCATION HIGHWAY

Ezra M. AyadoReporter


In the 1990s, indicated that the Philippines was spending lower for education– only 1.3% of the GNP, Thailand 3.6%; Indonesia, 3.7%; and Malaysia, 6%.

Despite the low investment, it was found out that 97.78% (elementary, high school, and college) was at a peak 15.4 million or one-fourth of the population; and the literacy rate of Filipinos 10 years old and above was at 89% which was high relative to the country’s neighbors.

Main Education Highway, a Background:

Amid these positive findings, the Congressional Commission to Review and Assess Philippine Education (EDCOM) then recommended the trifocalization of the education system, i.e..,the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the department of basic education (Department of Education or DepEd) and Technical Educaion and Skills development (TESDA)– technical and vocational education.But another review made eight years afterwards by the Presidential Commission on Educational Reform (PCER) reported that the three agencies that government had created — DepEd, TESDA, and CHED– had to be coordinated. Reasons….

The absence of cohesiveness among these three agencies has apparently worsened the negative state of Philippine education that the EDCOM already found out in the 1990s:

Disparities in access to education, formal and informal, prevailed at all levels in favor of rich, urban, high-income students, and communities. The percentage of non-completion of primary education was highest in depressed regions.Students from rich, urban, and developed communities had higher achievements records. Pupils on average learned only 55% or less of what must be learned.Muslim, cultural communities, and special learners suffered from neglect.

Non-formal education was inadequate.

Science and technology (S&T) education was inadequate.

Innovations in education and technology hardly found their adoption in schools.

Mismatches occurred between the supply and demand for educated and trained manpower, while education in general was irrelevant to individual and social needs.

Teachers were inadequately trained. Graduate education was mediocre, limited, and underdeveloped.

The People Competitiveness Summit reported the following:

Few scientists and engineers are doing research and development in the country in proportion to the population.

Poor performance of secondary students in Math and Science reflects the dismal state of its teaching.

More non-majors are teaching Science subjects which is a major cause of the weakness in Science.

It is conclusive that without an integrated education that prepares primary students towards higher education– high school to professional schools– it may be difficult to prepare children to become capable of meeting the requirements of higher education.

Worse, when encountering the difficulties early in life and without seeing a vision of the future, kids may be discouraged along the way from pursuing big dreams in life.

The major reasons why the Philippines has been left behind among countries’ pursuit toward industrialization and toward becoming a first world country which was then the aim of “Philippines 2000” back in the early 1990s? The answer is obvious.This objective of integrating education from pre-school to college and graduate school is one of the main reasons why the Main Education Highway (MEH) is envisioned by the PTFE.This integration meshes the academe and the business world or industries. It closes the gap between education and job requirements of companies. And it opens the country’s door to a knowledge-based economy.The PTFE is now coordinating the three education agencies in a “Harmonized Philippine Education System.”

PRES. AQUINO'S 10-POINT BASIC EDUCATION AGENDA1. 12-year Basic Education Cycle - expand the basic education cycle, from a

10-year cycle to a globally-comparable 12 years, for our public school children. At present, those who can afford basic education get into the best universities and the best jobs after graduation.

2. Universal preschooling for all - All public school children will have preschool as their introduction to formal schooling by 2016, and make this available to all children regardless of income.

3. Madaris education as a sub-system within the education system - full basic education for all Muslim Filipino children. This is to give proper respect to their culture while providing a sound curriculum in English, Filipino, science, and math. Madaris education, with subjects in Arabic language and Islamic values education, can be integrated in our public school curriculum as additional subjects.


4. Technical vocational education as an alternative stream in senior high school. -reintroduce technical-vocational education in public high schools to better link schooling to local industry needs and employment. A need to provide an educational alternative to better prepare the students for the world of work.

5. “Every child a reader” by Grade 1 - By the end of the next administration, every child must be a reader by Grade 1. At the core of our children’s non-learning problems is the inability to read properly. By the end of the next administration (SY 2015-16), every child passing pre-school must be a reader by Grade 1.

6. Science and Math proficiency - rebuild the science and math infrastructure in schools so that we can produce more scientists, engineers, technicians, technologists and teachers in our universities so that this country can be more globally competitive in industry and manufacturing. To build a culture for science and math, promote science and math clubs and fairs.

7. Assistance to private schools as essential partners in basic education - expand government assistance to private education. A strong private school system will strengthen our public schools by providing parents an alternative and not adding to the overcrowding.

8. Medium of instruction rationalized – to become trilingual nation: Learn English well and connect to the world. Learn Filipino well and connect to our country. Retain your dialect and connect with your heritage.

9. Quality textbooks – intolerant to poor textbook quality in schools. Textbooks will be judged by three criteria: quality, better quality, and more quality. Poor quality textbooks have no place in our schools.

10. Covenant with the local governments to build more schools build more schools in areas where there are no public or private schools in partnership with local governments, as well address our persistent classroom and teacher shortages. A need for more schools with smaller populations so that teachers, students and parents can form a real learning community.

1. The implementation by the DepEd, CHED and TESDA of the Recommendation and Action Plans of the Presidential Task Force for Education (PTFE), on improving the different stages of the Philippine Main Education Highway towards a knowledge-based economy and to attain the vision of every Filipino family in ensuring that each son or daughter has the opportunity to get an education that will lead them to a productive and well-paying job and/or become an entrepreneur.

Executive Order NO. 781, s 2009 - AN ACTION PLAN IN SUPPORT OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PHILIPPINE MAIN EDUCATION HIGHWAY

2. All concerned departments, bureaus, offices, agencies and instrumentalities of the government, including government-owned and/or controlled corporations are hereby directed to implement the recommendations and action plans of the Presidential Task Force for Education (PTFE) on improving the different stages of the Philippine Main Education Highway.

3. All other orders, issuances, rules and regulations, or parts thereof which are inconsistent thereof with this Executive Order are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

4. This Executive Order shall take effect immediately.

Republic Act No. 9155AN ACT INSTITUTING A FRAMEWORK OF GOVERNANCE FOR

BASIC EDUCATION, ESTABLISHING AUTHORITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY, RENAMING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION,

CULTURE AND SPORTS AS THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Declaration of Policy. – It is hereby declared the policy of the State to protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality basic education and to make such education accessible to all by providing all Filipino children a free and compulsory education in the elementary level and free education in the high school level. Such education shall also include alternative learning systems for out-of-school youth and adult learners. It shall be the goal of basic education to provide them with the skills, knowledge and values they need to become caring, self- reliant, productive and patriotic citizens.

- The school shall be the heart of the formal education system that provides the best possible basic education for all learners.

- Governance of basic education shall begin at the national level. where the policy and principle for the governance of basic education shall be translated into programs, projects and services developed, adapted and offered to fit local needs.

- The State shall encourage local initiatives for improving the quality of basic education. To ensure that the values, needs and aspirations of a school community are reflected in the program of education for the children, out-of-school youth and adult learners. Schools and learning centers shall be empowered to make decisions on what is best for the learners they serve.

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10157 THE KINDERGARTEN EDUCATION ACT

Declaration of Policy. – Is to provide equal opportunities for all children to avail of accessible mandatory and compulsory kindergarten education that effectively promotes physical, social, intellectual, emotional and skills stimulation and values formation to sufficiently prepare them for formal elementary schooling. This Act shall apply to elementary school system being the first stage of compulsory and mandatory formal education. Thus, kindergarten will now be an integral part of the basic education system of the country.

Kindergarten education is vital to the academic and technical development of the Filipino child for it is the period when the young mind’s absorptive capacity for learning is at its sharpest. It is also the policy of the State to make education learner-oriented and responsive to the needs, cognitive and cultural capacity, the circumstances and diversity of learners, schools and communities through the appropriate languages of teaching and learning.

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10533 (K-12)Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013

Declaration of Policy. –The State shall establish, maintain and support a complete, adequate, and integrated system of education relevant to the needs of the people, the country and society-at-large.

- it is the policy of the State that every graduate of basic education shall be an empowered individual who has learned, through a program that is rooted on sound educational principles and geared towards excellence, the foundations for learning throughout life, the competence to engage in work and be productive, the ability to coexist in fruitful harmony with local and global communities, the capability to engage in autonomous, creative, and critical thinking, and the capacity and willingness to transform others and one’s self.

REPUBLIC ACT NO. -7796 “Technical Education and Skills-Development Act of 1994” or

the “TESDA Declaration of Policy. – It is hereby declared the policy of the State

to provide relevant, accessible, high quality and efficient technical education and skills development in support of the development of high quality Filipino middle-level manpower responsive to and in accordance with Philippine development goals and priorities.

The State shall encourage active participation of various concerned sectors, particularly private enterprises, being direct participants in and immediate beneficiaries of a trained and skilled workforce in providing technical education and skills development opportunities.

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7722AN ACT CREATING THE COMMISSION ON HIGHER

EDUCATION, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Declaration of Policy. – The State shall protect, foster and promote the right of all citizens to affordable quality education at all levels and shall take appropriate steps to ensure that education shall be accessible to all. The State shall likewise ensure and protect academic freedom and shall promote its exercise and observance for the continuing intellectual growth, the advancement of learning and research, the development of responsible and effective leadership, the education of high-level and middle-level professionals, and the enrichment of our historical and cultural heritage.

State-supported institutions of higher learning shall gear their programs to national, regional or local development plans. Finally, all institutions of higher learning shall exemplify through their physical and natural surroundings the dignity and beauty of, as well as their pride in, the intellectual and scholarly life.

REPUBLIC ACT 7836PHILIPPINE TEACHERS PROFESSIONALIZATION ACT OF 1994

AN ACT TO STRENGTHEN THE REGULATION AND SUPERVISION OF THE PRACTICE OF TEACHING IN THE

PHILIPPINES AND PRESCRIBING A LICENSURE EXAMINATION FOR TEACHERS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

Statement of Policy. — The State recognizes the vital role of teachers in nation-building and development through a responsible and literate citizenry. Towards this end, the State shall ensure and promote quality education by proper supervision and regulation of the licensure examination and professionalization of the practice of the teaching profession.

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9293AN ACT AMENDING CERTAIN SECS OF REPUBLIC ACT

NUMBERED SEVENTY-EIGHT HUNDRED AND THIRTY-SIX (R.A. NO. 7836), OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE “PHILIPPINE

TEACHERS PROFESSIONALIZATION ACT OF 1994” (Amendment to R.A. 7836)

“SEC. 26. Registration and Exception (par 6) Professional teachers who have not practiced their profession for the past five (5) years shall take at least twelve (12) units of education courses, consisting of at least six (6) units of pedagogy and six (6) units of content courses, or the equivalent training and number of hours, to be chosen from a list of courses to be provided by the Board and the Department of Education, before they can be allowed to practice their profession in the country.

Those who have failed the licensure examination for professional teachers, with a rating of not lower than five percentage points from the passing general average rating, shall be eligible as para-teachers upon issuance by the Board of a two-year special permit, renewable for a non-extendible period of two (2) years. The para-teachers shall be assigned to areas where there is a shortage or absence of a professional teacher, as identified and provided by the Department of Education and the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) education department to the Board for professional teachers and to the Commission. The special permit shall indicate the area of assignment of the para-teacher.

A special permit may also be issued by the Board to a person who has excelled and gained international recognition and is a widely acknowledged expert in his or her respective field of specialization.”

BRIONES PRESENTS DEPED’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS, AGENDA BEYOND THE FIRST 100 DAYS

Laying out the prioritiesAddressing the Central Office personnel during a general assembly on Monday, Briones presented an update on her administration’s first 100 days. She also laid out a 10-point agenda, emphasizing how this is based on her team’s vision and the priorities of the Duterte administration.

The Secretary also acknowledged the basic challenges of the Department, such as raising the quality of education, making education accessible and relevant to the urgent needs and opportunities of the country, and making education truly liberating.

However, Briones was quick to assure continuity of the key programs of the previous administration. “Hindi dahil bago ang Secretary o dahil bago ang administrasyon, ay bago na ang lahat. Kailangan may continuity. Kung anuman ang ginagawa natin ngayon, it builds on the past and present programs,” Briones said.

WHAT THE DEPARTMENT HAS DONE SO FAR1. Confronted the inherited problem of budget

underutilization and spending backlogsAs the country’s biggest bureaucracy with the biggest budget allocation, Secretary Briones explained the need for an efficient organization to help in the delivery of basic education.

DepEd promptly convened a mid-year review of Project Procurement Management Plans (PPMPs) to catch-up on procurement especially of big-ticket items, explored inter-agency mechanisms in obligating allocations for hard-to-move items in the 2015 budget, and constituted an Education Program Delivery Unit to ensure effective, efficient and timely execution of programs, projects, and activities.

2. Responded to the President’s education directivesIn response to the marching order of the President, DepEd is strengthening the preventive drug education component in Science and Health by providing real-life lessons and alternative learning methods to make the delivery much more realistic and effective, starting Grade 4. Gender and development component of school curricula, especially in relation to sex education and teenage pregnancy, and environmental awareness and disaster preparedness, are being reinforced.

Aside from enhancing drug education, expanding the reach of ALS is another DepEd program that has President Duterte’s expressed support.

DepEd is working double-time to revive and expand the coverage of ALS. Alternative learning methods are also being developed for learners in hard-to-reach mountain regions and small islands, as well as densely populated areas.

3. Committed to the full implementation of the K to 12Secretary Briones reiterated that the continuation of the K to 12 program is not to please the international market nor to cater to the private sector, but to serve the interest of the Filipinos and the country.The anticipated large number of drop-outs and massive displacement of teachers did not occur. There are more than 1.5 million Grade 11 enrollees and more than 36,000 teacher items were created for Senior High School (SHS).

4. Defended the President’s budget in CongressThe launch of SHS demands even more resources. To support the curriculum needs, provision of additional basic resources is underway: P15.5 billion will be allotted to hiring 53,831 teachers, P3 billion for 55.8 million learning materials, P4.5 billion 8,833 science and math equipment packages, and P7.3 billion for 7,260 TechVoc tools and equipment packages.

On October 19, the House of Representatives approved on third and final reading the 2017 General Appropriations Act (GAA) that will provide P3.35 trillion national budget to finance government operations in 2017. P567.5 billion is allotted to DepEd, the biggest budget allocation among all government agencies.

REFORMS FOR THE LONG TERM1. DepEd identified procurement and management system as major

roadblocks. To address these, DepEd introduced greater leadership supervision over Finance and Administration: two Undersecretaries for Finance were appointed–one in charge of the expenditure to make sure money flows and is accounted for, and another to manage budget utilization.

2. DepEd has also met with Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary to reconstitute the Joint Technical Working Group on the Basic Education Facilities and target prompt execution of school buildings construction under the 2017 budget. (e.g. ANHS new buildings for more than 60 classrooms – construction starts now)

3. DepEd is also establishing an Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS) to track the status of the Department's budget releases and disbursements in real time.Changes in the current planning templates will be introduced to address inflexibility in costing standards and delays in field validation of planned projects.

“No organization can succeed without an appropriate financial management system which will be used to fund our dreams, promises, and programs,” she added

4. In a move to support the campaign against the proliferation of illegal drug use, DepEd convened with the Department of Justice (DOJ) to form a Working Group that will forge a common legal position on drug testing for students and personnel among DepEd, the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) and Technicial Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and implement the comprehensive drug testing initiative in partnership with the Department of Health (DOH).

5. One education intervention to help keep schoolchildren in school until completion of basic education is the continuation of school-based feeding programs. The proposal to have the massive feeding program will be reviewed amid budget implications.

6. Briones stressed that to be part of DepEd, excellent education credentials are but the minimum qualification. Employees should strive to be more capacitated and informed on the state of education and the needs of the country. Therefore, the agency will introduce curricular and non-curricular programs, and undertake institutional capacity building to be responsive to the aspirations and urgent needs of the nation.

Improvement of the capacity of teachers, education leaders, and DepEd personnel includes the strengthening of DepEd Regional Offices’ capacity in managing and hosting training programs, and the training on curriculum for teachers and ALS facilitators.

7. Secretary Briones emphasized the importance of integrating, reflecting, and expressing the Philippines’ rich historical experiences in the educational system. She acknowledged the challenges to move away from data and technology to innovation, creativity, critical thinking, and acceptance of and adjustment to changes.

During the 6th APEC Education Ministerial Meeting (AEMM) in Peru, Briones said that while Science and Technology is also being offered to students as early as Grade 3 and 4, DepEd is loyal not only to the culture and arts but also to Philippine history and the directions of the development program.

8. DepEd is eyeing the expansion of the scope of academic and non-academic employee welfare through the improvement of the provident fund.

9. Department leadership will be active, transparent, consultative, collaborative, and corruption-free. A regular general assembly with the employees will be held to update on the development in the agency. There will be briefings by each Undersecretaries and Assistant Secretaries with directors on current programs.

10. Amid concerns and debates, Secretary Briones maintained that the Department will continue partnerships with the private sector.

THANK YOU