Electing Education President

by Atty. Allen S. Quimpo
President, Northwestern Visayan Colleges
Consultant, Institute of Public Policy Studies

Last May 18, 2009, a group of business and academic leaders met at UP NISMED to organize a national movement to demand fundamental reform. Their demand: Make the Philippines the Education Nation and its President in 2010 the Education President. The urgency of this call cannot be ignored. This was the same note of the Monroe report on the State of Philippine Education in 1917. The inadequate investment in education, competent teachers, poor pay, shortage in school rooms and facilities, small budget, and others are the problems. After 82 years, these are the same problems existing, only made more prominent. Consider the following:

1. High Drop Out Incidence. Of the 100 pupils that start in grade I, only 43 finish grade VI; of these, only 21 finish high school, and only 16 finish college.

2. Poor Teacher Quality. Teacher effective-ness is adversely affected by low pay, poor mark in the teacher licensure exami-nation and insufficient to a matching materials and other supports. Teachers are asked to perform non-academic duties like poll watching, sports, cultural and even religious and social activities.

3. Poor Student Performance. In the 2005 Third International Math and Science Study, the Philippines ranked 41 and 42 respectively out of 45 participating countries.

4. Low Financial Support. Public expen-ditures on education is a low 2.1 percent of GNP. The neighboring countries spend an average of six percent of GDP. UNESCO prescribes a minimum of six percent.

5. Inadequate support and linkages with the private and business sector and industry. This create a mismatch on graduates and industry demands. There is a growing gap between course offerings and the world of works which causes unclear and oftentimes confused policy direction. Our offerings are reactions to the demands abroad. Thus, nursing, nautical, voc-tech are in demand while agriculture, fisheries, forestry, and others needed for an agri-industrial development are left unattended.

6. The great disparity between research and its practical application. The Philippines is home to noted international research bodies. The IRRI, the PCARRD, the SEMEO INNOTECH, SEAFDEC, have accu-mulated a wealth of information and data. However, the ability to utilize these for development have eluded the beneficiaries (our people). Just like any research output, countries with progressive policies and programs have succeeded in increasing their wealth and productivity. Worse, this in turn adds up to the greater gap between the disenfranchised poor and the few economic elite. NEDA analyzed that the GNP growth really widened the gap between the rich and the poor.

7. Defective, Counter Productive and Anti developmental Curriculum. When one considers the poor performance of our educational system, one cannot help but to look at and address the curriculum. It suffers from:

a. Highly centralized and regulated curriculum. Considering that the Philippines is an archi-pelago, multi cultural-ethnical nature, a good curricula policy should accept diversity in unity. College courses utilize the first two years repeating the topics and lessons presumably already learned in the basic edu-cation. For instance, Math 1 is Basic Math. English 1 is Grammar and English+ English Profi-ciency, Eng. 1 is Study and Thinking Skills. Natural Science 1 is Physical Science. It is only late second year or third year that professional or major subjects start to be offered. Effectively, therefore, the student has only 2 years of his professional subjects. One can guess the negative consequence.

b. The Curriculum does not address the concepts, causes, issues, solutions to our country’s fundamental reason for underdevelopment and our people’s continuing poverty. Neither does encourage critical thinking. Creativity is always a suspect. Critical thinking is subversive. Popular courses cater to foreign demand instead of national demand. Look at the pathetic condition of our Agricultural and Fisheries Schools. The Philippines being possessed with potential energy and natural resources could hardly afford to produce its food, energy, water and other basic needs. Our productivity level is one of the worlds lowest. Education failed to make our people the beneficiaries of our vast natural resources.

When we remind ourselves that it is the HUMAN CAPITAL that really propels a nation to develop, then ipso facto this HUMAN CAPITAL THEORY states that this is the function of education. In short, the more and better educated the people, the greater the chances of economic development. Conversely, the failure to confront these challenges is the main cause of our continued poverty. Survey shows that the gap between the rich and the poor has widened (NSO, 2006 Report). And the middle class has sub-stantially decreased.

When one evaluates to identify the cause, or causes, the finger will point to one who leads our nation, who adopts and implements these defective policies.

That is why, the people in choosing the next President, or set of leaders, may well take note to pick the candidate(s) with proven track record for educational reform.

Let us adopt the principles and policies that enhance the human capital of Aklan, and indorsing national leaders whose program of government is the greatest investment in education. It includes:

1. Greater role of LGU with their vast and increasing financial capability to partner in this function of education. The educational support fund should be rationalized to serve access to quality education;

2. Reform the curri-
culum to address the mismatch of needs and market, but more so by redirecting policies in support of programs for national development, and alleviating poverty, rather than programs to support foreign demands;

3. Reinforce public-private educational linkages educational and business linkages, national and international linkages to enhance this capital human resource, such as, but not limited to internship, apprenticeship, dual training, and others.

4.Offer more scholarships and benefits to students. The choice after six years is ours. Let the people’s voice compel. Force the human capital as the priority issue in this election. Our children cannot wait. We have suffered much, for so long. Either choose the rich or the popular, or we choose based on their programs. As for me and my children, we will choose the Education President and Aklan Education Leaders. Aklan, true to its venerated past must lead to make the Philippines the Education Nation and the people, the Educated People. /MP