To help improve the quality of education and develop the skills of future Filipino workers, the Australian Government has reinforced its commitment to Philippine education reform through a P98.7 million support fund to be managed in partnership with the Philippine Business for Education (PBEd). “Nation-building starts with quality education,” PBEd Executive Director Justine Raagas said. “An integrated approach to education reforms, starting from elementary school, is crucial for a seamless and foundational building block for a productive future workforce,” she added. The Australian Government and PBEd, she explained, are collaborating to “find concrete solutions towards improved learning and employability in the Philippines.” The support fund, PBEd said, is a crucial effort at a time when the number of jobless Filipinos has increased amidst rapid changes to technology and the types of future jobs available for young people. To help address skills gaps and unemployment, the Australian Government and PBEd will work on four focus areas - senior high school curriculum improvement, industry involvement in skills development, improving teacher quality, and enhancing education data collection and assessments. PBEd and the Assessment, Curriculum and Technology Research Centre, a joint venture between the Australia’s University of Melbourne and the University of the Philippines, will work together to support the plans of the Department of Education (DepEd) on reviewing and revising the K to 12 curriculum. “These reforms will be important for ensuring that graduates have adequate skills and are more employable,” PBEd said. Meanwhile, PBEd’s workforce development program supported by the Australian Government, “A Future that Works,” will continue its existing efforts by establishing more Sector Skills Councils to undertake labor market studies. This will better align the skills of workers with the demands of industry, PBEd noted. To improve teacher quality, PBEd will support the Australia-supported Research Centre for Teacher Quality, a partnership between the University of New England and the Philippine Normal University, to further develop competencies of teachers and school leaders in curriculum and instruction, expand career progression for teachers, and strengthen the Teacher Education Council that looks into pre-service teacher education reforms. PBEd will also support DepEd improve another Australia-supported initiative – the Enhanced Basic Education Information System and Learner Information System – which serves as the primary source of Philippines education data on students, teachers, and schools. This collaboration will enhance DepEd planning and decision-making, PBEd said. Australian Ambassador to the Philippines HK Yu PSM, meanwhile, said that Australia believes that “quality education is key to a prosperous and productive nation.” “We have been a longstanding partner to the Philippines and strong supporter of its education reform goals. In this new phase of our partnership with PBEd, we will support the Philippines to achieve an education system that provides the skills and knowledge needed for future jobs,” she added.