As the new school year started in public schools, a students' group on Monday, Sept. 13, said that the shortage of learning materials, delayed wages, and lack of teachers' benefits are among the "manifestations of a failed education system."
In a statement, the College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) reiterated calls for the safe reopening of schools.
"The second opening of schools in times of pandemic, which DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones called earlier to be a 'celebration of victories and successes' is not something to be celebrated. Students are not impressed with the current setup of the education system. It has done nothing but pushes through the anti-poor perspective and priorities of the government," CEGP Deputy Secretary-General Regina Tolentino lamented.
"The shortage of learning materials, delayed wages, lack of teachers' benefits, and the already anti-poor education system are manifestations of a failed education system, making the department's recent remarks questionable," Tolentino added.
CEGP also challenged President Duterte to rechannel the funds of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) to "real priorities" such as P10,000 student aid for the education workers and subsidies for students.