The approval of a new cabinet cluster for education has sparked a range of reactions. Some view the change favorably, while others have voiced concerns about its intended purpose.
The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines, for instance, expressed concern that the new cluster could present both advantages and challenges.
“Forming another body to coordinate the existing agencies can either help align their programs or simply add another bureaucratic layer to an already top-heavy bureaucracy,” ACT Philippines said in a statement issued Wednesday, Aug. 14.
During the cabinet sectoral meeting held on Aug. 13, President Marcos approved, "in principle," the creation of a cabinet cluster for education. This was confirmed by Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sonny Angara during a Palace briefing.
Proposed by the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2), the creation of the Cabinet Cluster for Education aims to provide “strong oversight” of all education agencies.
Angara was an EDCOM 2 Commissioner before he was appointed DepEd Secretary.
The new cluster, which will serve as a coordinating mechanism among agencies, is also expected to address the urgent need to resolve the learning crisis that the country is currently facing.
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https://mb.com.ph/2023/5/29/ph-education-in-crisis-1
During the press briefing, Angara and EDCOM 2 Executive Director Karol Mark Yee emphasized the need for greater coordination among DepEd, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and other agencies to better align educational policies and address long-standing challenges—from early childhood care and development to basic education, higher education, technical and vocational training, and lifelong learning.
However, ACT Philippines pointed out that coordination is “far from the root of the extensive and persistent problems” in the country’s education sector.
“We’re navigating a ship riddled with leaks, and this is like rearranging the deck chairs instead of plugging the holes,” the group said.
ACT Philippines noted that challenges in the country’s education sector include chronic shortages of classrooms, teachers, education support personnel, and facilities in public schools and state universities, as well as the “pitifully low salaries” of teachers and education workers, among other issues.
“If its creation is merely intended to ensure a steady and seamless stream of cheap, semi-skilled, and docile Filipino labor for the global market, then it is a bandage on a bullet wound—not a solution worth pursuing,” the group said.
Readiness to cooperate, collaborate
Meanwhile, other groups welcomed the creation of the new cluster.
In a statement issued on Aug. 14, the Teachers' Dignity Coalition (TDC) welcomed the formation of the Cabinet Education Cluster.
“This has long been recognized as a problem in the Philippine education system, where programs, efforts, operations, and even orientations seem disconnected,” TDC Chairperson Benjo Basas said.
“One manifestation of this is the varying school calendars, with tertiary institutions having their own dates for the school year, while private schools in basic education can also deviate from DepEd's mandate,” he added.
For Basas, a coordinated approach from daycare centers to pre-employment programs after college must be ensured.
Meanwhile, TDC suggested including the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in the cluster, as it is the main agency responsible for implementing the government's early childhood care and development programs.
The TDC, for its part, expressed readiness to cooperate with government agencies by providing information, sentiments, and opinions that may be relevant to the cluster's role.
“But we hope this cluster recognizes the value of teachers' welfare in the overall efforts of the government,” Basas said.
“This might end up like previous programs that, while well-intentioned, overlook the welfare of teachers,” he added.
The advocacy group Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) also supported the establishment of a Cabinet Cluster for Education to ensure coordinated movements within the education system.
“This comes at an opportune and critical time as we continue to grapple with the learning crisis,” PBEd said in a statement issued Aug. 13.
PBEd pointed out that the need for an interrelated, whole-of-nation approach to education involving DepEd, TESDA, CHED, and other government agencies has “never been more urgent, as we work to bridge the gaps from basic education to employability.”
For the group, the new Cabinet Cluster and the appointment of an education czar can “set the motion for the much-needed long-term vision and plan for education and human capital development in the country.”
In its implementation, PBEd expressed hope that the Cabinet Cluster will be anchored on “making data-driven decisions” on education, guided by independent assessment mechanisms.
“We are ready to collaborate on this effort, as education must be our top priority for the future of our children and our country,” PBEd added.
EDCOM 2, for its part, also welcomed Marcos' decision and thanked him for heeding its recommendation to create a cabinet cluster on education.
“This will strengthen the coordination between our government agencies to ensure that we are headed in the same direction in addressing pressing issues, especially the perennial crisis plaguing our education sector,” EDCOM 2 Co-Chairperson Senator Win Gatchalian said.
In a statement issued Aug. 13, EDCOM 2 noted that Marcos directed the education agencies to develop a 10-year coherent and integrated national education and workforce development strategy to ensure that education issues are tackled as a whole rather than in silos.
This will allow education agencies to align their targets and budgets and set up monitoring and evaluation mechanisms across the education sector.
EDCOM 2 Co-Chairperson Rep. Roman Romulo also extended his gratitude to the President.
“This initiative is not merely a matter of governance; it is about ensuring that every agency involved in education works in coordination, follows a clear policy direction, and understands the critical urgency of the tasks at hand,” Romulo said.
“By doing so, we will optimize the use of resources, eliminate redundancy, and ensure that every effort contributes to the greater goal of providing quality education for all,” he added.
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