Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte on Tuesday, Dec. 12, highlighted the important role of the private education sector in addressing the challenges faced by the country’s education system.
“Our public schools cannot address the education crisis alone,” Duterte said in her keynote message during the Private Education National Conference (PENC) 2023 read by Undersecretary Revsee Escobedo.
“Private schools have a pivotal role in addressing the challenges we face today,” Duterte said. “Our private schools' expertise, innovation, and commitment to providing quality education to their students have helped shape Filipino society,” she added.
Complementarity framework launch
Among the highlights of the event was the launch of the public-private education complementarity framework.
“Today, we are taking another step toward transforming basic education in the Philippines,” Duterte said.
“We are strengthening our commitment to our belief that education is a right, not a privilege,” she explained. “Therefore, every Filipino learner deserves an equal opportunity to learn and reach their full potential,” she added.
Duterte noted that the Covid-19 pandemic “forced us to reckon with the weaknesses of our education system.”
Economic impacts of the pandemic, Duterte said, led to the exodus of students to public schools and caused the closure of many private schools nationwide.
Amid the turbulent trends in global politics, disruptions in public health, climate change, and natural disasters threatening the continuous learning of children, Duterte said that this is where the Public-Private Education Complementarity Framework comes in.
“By working together, we can decongest public schools and expand access to quality education for students from low-income families,” she explained.
In the last two school years, through the partnership of the Department of Education (DepEd) with the Philippine Education Assistance Committee (PEAC), Duterte said that over four million students have benefited from Educational Service Contracting (ESC) and the Senior High School Voucher Program (SHSVP).
“With this Framework, we are leveraging the strengths of both the public and private sectors. Let us foster a collaborative environment where public and private schools work together to address the challenges and opportunities facing Philippine education today,” Duterte said.
Duterte noted that building a “just and equitable society” begins with children's education experience.
“Together, let us unlock the great potential of our Filipino children and youth to sustain our economic growth and build an inclusive and resilient society,” she added.