Declaring an education crisis will be among the first things Vice President Leni Robredo will do if elected president.
Robredo said this at "The Education President: Interviews with Presidential Aspirants on Philippine Education" at the University of Pangasinan Friday, April 8, as she presented her plans for the education sector if she wins the presidency.
"Napakahaba ng mga gusto nating gawin (We have a long list of what we want to do) but I have always been consistent in saying na (that) one of the first things that I will do if elected president is to declare an education crisis," the Vice President said.
She explained that this must be done so that the government will adopt an "all hands on deck" approach, stressing that the country's education problems have worsened, especially during the pandemic.
The aspiring president also emphasized that the two top problems in education the country is facing are "access and quality." She said these learning woes were greatly exposed during the pandemic.
Robredo mentioned her intention to raise the budget of education from three percent of the GDP to six percent in order to improve the quality of education in the country.
She further said that one of the interventions the government can do in providing better access to education is to bridge far-flung areas to schools.
She cited one of the programs the Office of the Vice President (OVP) did in order to bring schools nearer to learners.
In some areas in the country where dropout rates are high, the OVP built dormitories near schools and established a multi-cab service for students who are residing many kilometers away from schools. Robredo said these kinds of interventions will be done under her leadership.
"This is one of the things we can do to give students access to education. Napakarami (There are a lot), it's not just building schools, it's not just building classrooms, it's really finding out kung papano mo matutulungan yung estudyante na mapapagaan yung kanyang dala dala para makapag-aral siya. Marami pang kailangang gawin (how to help the students lessen their burdens so they can study. There is still a lot to be done)," Robredo said.
The presidential candidate also talked about easing the burden of teachers so they can focus on their duty to teach their students rather than bombarding them with too much admin work.
She added that improved compensation packages and the opportunity to pursue further education must also be prioritized for teachers.
"Bottomline, are we investing enough in education? Kasi hindi talaga (Because we're not). We are not investing enough in education. That's why hindi natin maibigay sa teachers ito ngayon (we cannot give this to teachers now)," Robredo said.
In her speech, she also reiterated the issue of "mismatch" between the education curriculum and the skills needed in the workforce.
To address this, she said the government and private sector must be partners in bridging the gap so schools can provide students equipped with the right skills and knowledge needed for the available jobs to curb unemployment and underemployment.
The Vice President is barnstorming Pangasinan Friday, her first stop in her Region 1 campaign sorties over the weekend.