Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Monday, February 6 has sought an inquiry on the state of education in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, said the inquiry primarily seeks to address the low enrollment in BARMM schools as well as, improve learner outcomes and access to quality basic education in the region.
“Several decades of armed conflict and civil unrest have greatly affected the quality of basic education as evident in the performance of BARMM in several education indicators,” Gatchalian noted.
In filing Senate Resolution No. 455, Gatchalian sought a review of the status of the implementation of the education provisions of the organic law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Republic Act No. 11054) and the Bangsamoro Education Code (BEC) of 2021.
The BEC of 2021 was signed into law pursuant to the mandate of the BARMM organic law to enact legislation strengthening the Madaris school system.
BARMM, Gatchalian noted has problems on its historical Net Enrollment Rate (NER) which is more pronounced in Junior High School (JHS) and Senior High School (SHS).
While the national NER is 97 percent, only about 36 percent of individuals aged 12 to 15 are enrolled in JHS, and 10 percent of individuals aged 16 to 17 are enrolled in SHS, he pointed out.
Based on the 2020 Philippine Statistics Authority's (PSA) Annual Poverty Indicators Survey, the high cost of education, lack of personal interest and accessibility of schools are among the factors for non-attendance in schools.
Gatchalian also pointed out that the latest Cohort Survival data for BARMM shows the low number of students who graduate.
For every 100 children who enrolled in Grade 1 in School Year (SY) 2010-2011, only 17 were able to graduate Grade 12 in SY 2021-2022, noting this is lower than the national average of 57 Grade 12 graduates in SY 2021-2022 out of every 100 Grade 1 enrollees in SY 2010-2011.
He also expressed dismay at the latest results of the last seven National Achievement Tests (NAT) administered in the region.
The NAT in BARMM, he said, revealed a low performance in English, Science, and Mathematics.
“It is important that we assess the challenges facing our countrymen in BARMM when it comes to education,” he said.
“We want to make sure that when it comes to quality education and opportunities for a bright future, our countrymen in the region will not be left behind,” the lawmaker stressed.