Stakeholders and the general public were enjoined to participate in consultations to address the top issues that hound the country’s education system. (ALI VICOY / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2), the Congressional body created through the Republic Act (RA 11899) tasked to undertake a comprehensive national assessment and evaluation of the performance of the Philippine education sector, opened its first round of consultations for two of its 28 Priority Areas. EDCOM 2 published two “Green Papers” on its website. These papers aim to “stimulate discussion on priority areas under consideration. “We hope to invite concerned stakeholders and the general public to participate in the debates surrounding specific areas,” EDCOM 2 Executive Director Karol Mark Yee said. “We also encourage researchers and academics to submit relevant research, as well as specific comments and suggestions for the issues that we are currently studying,” he added. The Green Papers are accompanied by survey forms that are open to responses from the general public.

Priority areas

Under Early Childhood Care and Development, questions focus on governance and financing of the sector. “The goal is to understand the priority area, its underlying issues, and research questions; shed light on the country’s ECCD services; and propose solutions and connect them to improved learning outcomes of Filipino students,” the Green Paper read. Meanwhile, questions on Basic Education revolve around the measurement of learning outcomes. The Green Paper seeks to “identify the specific barriers to establishing and maintaining an effective system of assessments in Philippine basic education. The goal is to develop and institutionalize an assessment system that will improve evidence-based decision-making, enhance accountability, increase efficiency, and ultimately lead to improved learning outcomes for Filipino learners.” Among the questions under the consultation focused on measuring learning outcomes; comparing the current assessment system with other international exemplars; and what are the best modes of quality assurance and performance monitoring of learning outcomes --- particularly for Senior High School (SHS) or Grades 11 and 12. The two surveys mark the first round of consultations that EDCOM 2 will conduct in the course of its three-year lifespan. Other areas with similar green papers forthcoming are Higher Education, Teacher Education, Technical-Vocational Education and Training (TVET), and Governance and Finance. “These Green Papers allow us the opportunity to gather insights from people on the ground who are really concerned about elevating the quality of our education system,” Yee said. “We hope to spark consultations like these so that our policy recommendations are informed by the realities on the ground, and by the experiences of people who know the system,” he added. Education stakeholders and the general public can participate by going to [www.edcom2.gov.ph/edukonsultasyon](http://www.edcom2.gov.ph/edukonsultasyon) until July 25.