Gatchalian pushes to institutionalize regular holding of local education summits

Sen. Win Gatchalian presides over the Committee on Basic Education’s inquiry in the Senate. Senate PRIB file photo / Bibo Nueva España

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Sherwin Gatchalian is pushing to institutionalize the implementation of a local education summit at least once a year to discuss issues and initiatives surrounding the education sector.

According to Gatchalian, Senate Bill No. 155, or the 21st Century School Boards Act, which he filed in July last year, seeks to strengthen the role of local government units in improving the delivery and quality of education through conducting education summits “to consult community members on issues and guide the prioritization of the Special Education Fund’s (SEF) allocation.”

“Mahalaga ang pagsasagawa ng education summit sa ating mga local government units upang masuri natin ang mga hamong kinakaharap. Magiging daan din ang mga summit na ito upang matalakay ang mga solusyon at mga repormang kinakailangan upang maabot natin ang bawat bata at matiyak na makatatanggap sila ng dekalidad na edukasyon,” Gatchalian, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, said in a statement issued on Thursday.

(Conducting education summits in our local government units is essential to assess various challenges. These summits will also serve as a platform to discuss the solutions and reforms needed to reach every child and ensure they receive a quality education.)

Through the proposed bill, education reforms facilitated by local school boards will be measured through success indicators such as student participation rates; the number of drop-outs and out-of-school youth; cohort survival rates; achievement scores from assessment tests; establishment of childhood development centers; and support to special needs education, Alternative Learning System (ALS), and the Parent Effectiveness Service (PES) Program.

The bill also suggests expanding the use of SEF to accommodate salaries of teachers and non-teaching personnel, as well as support for education research, acquisition of books and learning materials, information and communications technology (ICT) packages, and the ALS program. — Kristen Segui, INQUIRER.net intern

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