Roxas Files Omnibus Education Reform Act

Senator Mar Roxas recently filed the Omnibus Education Reform Act of 2008 to strengthen the Philippine education system through timely interventions on the quality of teachers, the medium of instruction used and the evaluation of students’ aptitude, among other aspects.
"We need to fix our educational system to promote social justice and better opportunities for the Filipino youth. This is the best way for us to catch up with our neighbors that have long made wise and huge investments in their own educational systems," Roxas pointed out, in filing Senate Bill No. 2294.
Roxas noted that at present, only 65 out of 100 Grade 1 students are able to complete Grade 6, and of these, only 43 graduate High School. With the small survival rate, most of these students do not even achieve up-to-standard mastery of English, Science and Math.
This, he said, is the result of many factors, particularly low government spending on education, which is at present only 3 percent of the Gross National Product, which drastically falls below the 6 percent global standard.
"Education is a building blocks system. Employability cannot be assured if college education is flawed. College outcomes cannot be fixed if high school education is flawed. High school outcomes cannot be improved if elementary school fundamentals are lacking. Authentic reforms must begin at the lowest level and work upwards. We cannot afford to take shortcuts," he said, noting that as low as 2 percent of college graduates who apply in the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector are accepted.
The proposed reforms in the bill are to:
1. Institutionalize long-term planning; 2. Mandate the use of the mother tongue as medium of instruction for Grades 1 to 3;
3. A School-Feeding Program for Grade 1 and 2 students; 4. Imposition of performance standards in Grades 3 and 6;
5. Mandate the increase in the number of years in basic education, from 10 years to 12;
6. Electives for High School students;
7. Intensive training and upgrading programs for teachers; and
8. A compulsory pre-school education year.
An initial appropriation of P19 billion is allocated to the Department of Education, on top of its regular budget, to fund these reforms. /MP