An advocacy group on Thursday, Sept. 15, urged Congress to prioritize the recovery of the education system in the deliberations for the 2023 budget as the learning crisis continues to grip the country.
“Much is at stake, and we cannot address our learning losses without sufficient resources,” said Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) Executive Director Lovelaine Basillote in a statement.
“The government must also equip our teachers with the right skills and training and focus on programs that are student-centered,” she added.
PBEd noted that in the past, only three percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has been allotted to the education sector. The group noted that while the proposed 2023 budget for basic education is higher at 4.3 percent, “it still does not meet” the global standard of six percent.
During the budget briefing of the Department of Education (DepEd) before the House appropriations committee on Sept. 14, Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte said that the agency plans to “open more programs to address the learning programs of our students.”
Duterte said that DepEd will also be investing in flexible learning and innovative solutions to cope with the classroom shortage.
For PBEd, all hands must be on deck to help bring the country out of the crisis.
“The government must act quickly and invest not only in quality basic education but also in nutrition and life-long opportunities,” Basillote said.
She also noted that the private sector and organizations, such as PBEd, can help bridge the gaps and provide the government the “needed support in order to improve our education system.”
Citing a recent World Bank report, PBEd noted that the Philippines has the highest level of learning poverty in East Asia and the Pacific which jumped from 70 percent in 2019 to 91 percent this year.
This, PBEd reiterated, means that nine out of 10 Filipino children aged 10 are still struggling to read simple texts.
In 2021, PBEd launched a campaign to call attention to the country’s learning crisis as the Philippines finished at the bottom of international learning assessments on science, mathematics, and reading competency.
RELATED STORY:
https://mb.com.ph/2021/07/05/serious-crisis-group-urges-govt-other-sectors-to-address-devastating-state-of-ph-education/