EDUCATION Secretary Sonny Angara acknowledged that the report of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (Edcom2) is a “bitter pill to swallow” to improve the education system in the country.
The report, titled “Turning Point: A Decade of Necessary Reform,” noted several problems that plagued the education system, including decreasing proficiency of students due to mass promotion and lengthened class suspensions.
In a radio interview, Angara said that the 10-year National Education and Workforce Development Plan should be continuously funded for the reforms to take place.
“They said that we need to swallow this bitter medicine by spending. We need to have good policies and sustain this for the [next] 10 years by allocating 5.5 percent of its GDP (Gross Domestic Product) [for education]. Right now we are spending at 4.36 percent, which is the highest,” Angara said.
He noted several measures of the DepEd to resolve the crisis, including the ARAL or the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning program that allows teachers to make interventions to students, as well as the removal of the transmutation of grades that leads to mass promotion of students.
Angara said that they are also decreasing the number of examinations in lower grade learners to focus more on the foundational skills such as reading.
To resolve the chronic lack of classrooms across the country, Angara said that they would allow nongovernment organizations to participate in the bidding of classrooms. He named several organizations, including the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and other private organizations.
Meanwhile, DepEd said that it is working closely with the Department of Public Works and Highways to resolve unfinished classroom projects and ensure that they are completed and turned over for use by learners.
Angara said that 8,000 classroom projects are being worked on at the same time, and 3,600 have been finished.
The department has proposed P3.192 billion budget to complete 3,614 classrooms.
