Vice President Leni Robredo. Image from OVP
LEMERY, Batangas — Vice President Leni Robredo reiterated that declaring an educational crisis in the country will be among the first things she will do if elected president in the 2022 national elections.
During a mini rally in the municipality on Saturday noon, Robredo was asked by a student leader and a private school teacher on her plans for the education sector — especially amid the growing number of out-of-school youth and the worsening quality of education.
Robredo explained that it is necessary to declare an education crisis as the country is lagging in international assessments and worldwide rankings.
“Isa sa mga una kong gagawin pag-upo bilang pangulo, mag-declare ng education crisis. Bakit kailangan natin mag-declare ng education crisis? Kasi po nakakahiya na tayo ngayon,” the Vice President told the crowd at the Lemery municipal hall.
“Dati napakahusay ng ating kalidad ng edukasyon pero bago pa man nagpandemya, ‘yung mga international assessment bodies, lagi tayong last. Nakakahiya ‘yun,” she added.
Robredo also lamented the small budget being allocated to the country’s education sector.
She cited a United Nations (UN) recommendation to allocate at least 6 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) to education. She notes that the education sector is now getting just 3 percent of the GDP.
“Maraming dahilan kung bakit ganoon. Ang isang dahilan, napakababa ng budget natin for education. Ang international standards po na nire-recommend ng UN, mga 6% dapat ng GDP ‘yung budget sa education. Tayo po, 3% lang. So nasa kalahati lang tayo, ‘yun ‘yung number one,” Robredo said.
Aside from that, Robredo also stressed that programs being promoted by government and the private sector might not be aligned with the needs of society. She cited the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry as an example.
The Vice President stressed that in her talks with BPO companies, she discovered that while the industry has a lot of job opportunities for Filipinos, there is a mismatch between what graduates learned in school and the actual demands of the job market.
“Number two, ang mga courses natin minsan hindi siya aligned sa needs ng industry. Marami tayong courses na ga-graduate ‘yung mga bata pero pagka-graduate hindi na makahanap ng trabaho dahil ‘yung hinahanap ng industry, hindi naman ‘yung pinag-aralan nila. So dapat sana hindi tayo ‘yung again one-size-fits-all na course,” Robredo said.
“Halimbawa ‘yung mga BPO. Kausap po natin madalas ‘yung industry leaders sa BPO, ang sinasabi po nila, ‘Napakarami naming trabaho na available pero ang tinuturo kasi sa paaralan hindi namin ginagamit.’ Halimbawa, ‘yung mga software, ‘yung mga kaalaman sa computers, sabi nila karamihan sa IT courses, ang tinuturo nila obsolete na para sa amin. So, hindi nag-uusap. So aayusin natin ‘yun,” he added.
As early as 2012, the United Nations have been calling on the national government about its GDP spending for the education sector. Recently, a study from the World Bank said 80 percent of Filipino children do not have the reading and numerical skills required for their age.
READ: Philippine education spending still below UN standard
READ: 80% of PH kids don’t know what they should know – World Bank
This is not the first time that Robredo has called for an education crisis to be declared in the country. In July 2021, after the World Bank released its reports, the Vice President said greater attention should be placed on education.
There were recent calls for a reform of the education system after a young participant in the Pinoy Big Brother television show referred to the three martyred Filipino priests Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora as“MaJoHa” and not “Gomburza.”
READ: Lawmaker: Congress should act on ‘MaJoHa’ blooper
READ: Robi Domingo calls to address education gaps after GomBurZa was called ‘MaJoHa’ on PBB