Reforms transcending 6-year admins pressed to address education crisis

File photo shows students attending a flag raising ceremony before singing the national anthem at a public school in Quezon City. AFP FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — With the education crisis in the country showing little to no signs of reversal, the Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) on Monday called for education reforms that “transcends and goes beyond administrations.”

PBEd made the pronouncement during the presentation of its assessment on the current state of the country’s education system, where it showed that despite various policy shifts in the past years, the crisis faced by the country involving education persisted.

“With Edcom 2 (Second Congressional Commission on Education) ending soon, the risk of losing momentum on education reform is very high,” said PBEd Executive Director Hanibal Camua.

“We need an education reform that transcends and goes beyond administrations. A six-year term is not enough to solve generational problems,” he added.

Long term goals

PBEd president Chito Salazar echoed these sentiments—stating that more politicians should be more focused on creating long-lasting goals, rather than prioritizing short term ones for the sake of politics.

One example he cited is the K-12 curriculum, wherein the changes it aimed to bring weren’t meant to be felt immediately, but rather until 12 to 15 years later.

“What we need are brave politicians who are willing to implement long-term changes and reforms, even if those won’t be immediately recognized,” said Salazar.

“So we’re challenging our politicians to make long term changes. Kasi yun po ang kailangan ng sistema (because that is what our system needs),” said Salazar.

Decentralization of education governance

Apart from long-term reforms, the PBEd also called for the decentralization of education governance due to the fact that educational problems differ per region.

Instead of consolidating the entire education system through the Department of Education as a whole, decentralizing governance would pave the way for localized solutions which could be more effective in addressing specific needs and challenges.

“Solutions must come from those who understand the context best,” said Camua.

“Our school leaders, our local government units. That’s why decentralization is not just an option, it is a necessity,” he added.

Camua also stated that decentralization would shift accountability to local governments, placing the responsibility and the accompanying pressure on them to implement the necessary reforms to enhance the quality of education in their areas.

Adjusting curriculums: aligning to job demands, focusing on early development

Camua also stressed the need to align school curriculums to industry demands, especially with the growing gap between employment and education.

“If the senior high school and college curricula are not aligned with the demands of the industry, that’s where the job-skills mismatch widens,” Camua said.

“That means even if someone graduates, if their skills don’t match what the industry needs, it becomes difficult for them to find a job. So, there needs to be better alignment between education and training and the demands of the industry,” he added.

Early childhood education

Salazar, for his part, highlighted the importance of prioritizing early childhood education, stressing that establishing a strong foundation early on enables learners to develop better learning skills as they progress through their education.

“If our children can read properly from Grades 1 to 4, everything else becomes simpler. And when students can’t read well, they fall behind,” he said.

Other necessary solutions

Another crucial solution, according to Salazar, is improving the quality of teachers in the country, providing them the necessary training to ensure that they are fully-equipped to teach their students.

“No matter how much we change the curriculum, what matters more is the quality of the teacher. That’s why we need to uplift both the quality of our teachers and their overall well-being,” said Salazar.

Meanwhile, Camua pointed out the need for a “whole of society” approach in improving the country’s education system, particularly in addressing backlogs in classrooms and teachers.

This, he said, can be achieved by cooperating with various sectors, including the private sector, and finding out how they can contribute in addressing the gaps in the country’s education system. /gsg