To get their thoughts on actions needed to transform education in the Philippines, the Department of Education (DepEd) consulted children, parents, and communities through a convergence event on Friday, Aug. 5.

DepEd led the Stakeholders’ Convergence: UN Transforming Education Summit (TES) 2022 which is a culmination activity for the National Consultations Process on the United Nations (UN).

During the event, DepEd) gathered insights from education stakeholders, specifically learners, teachers, and communities, to reimagine basic education in the Philippines from now until 2030.

“The core of our mission is to ensure that we can provide accessible, equitable, and quality basic education to Filipino children, that we can help them build a better future for themselves, that they can achieve their dreams, that they can become productive members of their communities and active partners of the government in building a stronger nation,” Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Z. Duterte said.

The event also aimed to culminate the TES consultation activities, present the highlights of the consultations, propose priority areas for the TES national statement, and gather support and commitment from our education partners.

The Stakeholders Convergence is a part of a series of meetings held in the lead-up to the United Nations Transforming Education Summit in New York in September 2022.

TES is a crucial initiative by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that brings together global, national, and local education stakeholders and actors in inclusive, networked and effective global dialogue on the types of coordinated actions needed to reverse the slide in progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 4 on quality education.

Earlier, DepEd bared its first medium-term plan for education called the Basic Education Development Plan 2030, which aims to address the current challenges the education sector faces through its four pillars, namely access, equity, quality, and resiliency and wellbeing.

“Any solution to the world’s problems starts with education, the greatest tool we have to fulfill and grow human potential,” UN Philippines Resident Coordinator Gustavo Gonzalez said. “We must chart a path that places education at the heart of sustainable, inclusive, resilient economies and societies,” he added.

After the Stakeholders Convergence, DepEd said that the Philippine Government will prepare a national statement on the vision of the future of education, strengthen political and public commitment, identify key actions, and mobilize support to transform teaching and achieve the SDG 2030 targets.

Meanwhile, UNICEF Deputy Representative Behzad Noubary stressed that education remains a fundamental human right. “As we move forward, let us reconfirm our commitment to reach the most vulnerable,” he said.

“Let's ensure that children that have dropped out, children with disabilities, indigenous children, pregnant teenagers, rural students, and young learners in child development centers will be among the first to benefit from the programs and services aimed at improving the current education system,” he added.