On Monday, the Committee on Appropriations applauded the Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sonny Angara’s cohesive plan to address the gaps within the educational system, as he pushes for a child-centered learning environment.
During the hearing on the proposed budget for DepEd, Secretary Angara addressed the systemic problems within the education sector, particularly the lack of personnel and resources. He discussed the scarcity of access to electricity, classrooms, and both teaching and non-teaching staff in schools.
Moreover, Angara emphasized that the shortage of guidance counselors in schools exacerbates the issues within the sector, as students’ health deteriorates due to rampant bullying and ostracization. Earlier, the department noted that the Philippines’ bullying rate had doubled compared to the average among OECD countries.
The 5-point agenda
To address these gaps, a five-point agenda was created to ensure that the department can move forward. Among the plans mentioned is ensuring that Senior High School graduates are employable and empowered. To achieve this, the department is working on improving the quality of education and student performance in international large-scale assessments like the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA).
Angara emphasized the importance of upskilling and supporting teachers to ensure they are well-trained and well-supported. He also highlighted the classroom and digital gaps, assuring the panel that the department will focus on enabling a child-centered learning environment.
“Ang nais ko lang sana guminhawa yung buhay ng ating mga learners, ng ating mga guro, at ng ating DepEd family. In what way? By making sure that we provide the appropriate learning environment for our learners. That we, although it is quite a formidable problem to provide some of the resources to enable our children to really learn, and to empower our teachers,” Angara expressed.
“‘Yun bang to enable the DepEd more efficiently as an organization. To make sure the books are delivered on time, the computers are working, there is electricity in our schools. Just the basics kasi the problem has become serious and intractable that we have sunk to new lows,” he added.
Moreover, Angara said that everyone in DepEd, including himself, needs to step up and move out of their comfort zones.
The gaps within the education system
Meanwhile, House Committee member Rufus Rodriguez mentioned the dilemma regarding the subjects being taught in schools. Kabataan Party-list Representative Raoul Manuel added that under the Matatag Curriculum, certain subjects like MAPEH and Araling Panlipunan have been merged, raising concerns about how teachers can effectively teach these combined subjects.
“Sana maincorporate yung mga ganitong observations kasi nga ang hirap na ma-ensure yung quality ng pagtuturo sa bawat subject kasi parang blob sila na naghahalo-halo,” Kabataan Party-list Rep Raoul Manuel stressed.
Despite the setbacks and evident gaps within the education sector, Angara also assured that they will not be requesting confidential funds for 2025.
“Sabi nga ni Ron Maxwell, the rise and fall of an organization is dependent on leadership, and I can see the success of DepEd in the next 365 days. We would like to be a part of that success by providing the appropriate budget to ensure that you will achieve your goal for the Department of Education,” Rep. Mark Go expressed.
