Children from different areas of the Philippines wrote to Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte about their dreams to have better facilities, classrooms, and school supplies, among others, as part of the United Nations Children's Fund‘s (UNICEF’s) initiative called “Letters to VP Sara.”
The UNICEF unveiled the project “Letters to VP Sara” to focus on children’s voices as the country moves to address the growing learning crisis among Filipino youth.
The agency presented the letters, which contained wishes of the learners from various provinces in the country, to Duterte.
“My dream is to have more rooms and more teachers. We only have two teachers because other teachers are afraid to come here. I hope we will have peace and order so that we can continue to go to school,” Aisha from Lebbuh Primary School in Lamitan, Basilan was quoted by the UNICEF.
The contents of the letter were shared by the UNICEF in a statement sent to the media.
“It will greatly help if we have bond papers, art materials, printers and good internet connection so we can easily print our work sheets and test papers,” Choleen from Oranbo Elementary School in Pasig City said.
“My wish is for us to have food. I hope I can also have uniforms,” Matuy Balenton, a child belonging to the Aeta tribe studying in Dinalupihan, Bataan said.
Because Alhadz from Naungan Primary School in Tawi-Tawi lives far from the town, he has to ride a boat to get to school.
“My only wish is for us to have a big boat that we can use even if it is windy and the waves are strong, so that we can get to school safely.”
Other learners also talked about the need for better peace and order situation in their localities for uninterrupted learning, facilities for LGBTQ+ students, learning program for children with disabilities, and school development projects in their communities.
The UN General Assembly (UNGA) proclaimed Jan. 24 as International Day of Education, a day dedicated to celebrating the crucial role of education for peace and development.
This year’s theme is “To invest in people, prioritize education,” which aims to build on the global momentum spurred by the UN Transforming Education Summit (TES) participated in by the Philippines, where education stakeholders “committed to act boldly and ambitiously in transforming the education system to deliver inclusive, equitable, and continuous quality education instrumental in breaking the cycle of poverty that keeps millions of children behind.”
UNICEF Philippines Representative Oyunsaikhan Dendevnorov, who presented the letters to Duterte, stressed the need to consult children about the issues that affect them.
“Children should have a say in matters that affect them. We hope that adults will continue to consult children on how they can learn better. As we tackle learning challenges, let’s empower children to participate meaningfully in their schools and communities,” she said.
According to UNICEF, 244 million children and youth globally are out of school.
In the Philippines, 2.6 million Filipinos aged 6 to 19 were not attending school in 2020.
“There is a crisis in foundational learning, as well as an alarming decline in the literacy and numeracy skills among young learners,” the statement said, adding that “many schools in the Philippines lack facilities and human resources to help children with their lessons.”
“Vulnerable children such as those living in poverty, those living in isolated, disaster-prone, and conflict areas, children with disabilities and children belonging to indigenous communities fare far worse,” it lamented.