Playing with Fire
Education leaders cite Noynoy’s education agenda
By Gonzalo Duque
PHILIPPINE Star columnist Anding Roces gave a very pathetic portrait of the Philippine educational system in his article last Thursday.
We have known that a long time ago, and we have reflected our views on how to arrest its downward spiral.
On the same issue of the Star, Isagani Cruz, in his “Mini Critique” column tackled Presidentiable Noynoy Aquino’s education agenda, which, he says, “of all the presidentiables, “makes sense.” In fact, Noynoy, columnist Cruz adds, “is the only presidential candidate who has thought through the problems of education in our country.”
Cruz says “I respect and salute him for bringing these education points to public debate.”
If elected, Noynoy vows to implement the following:
1. Expand basic education from a short l0-year cycle to a globally comparable l2 years before the end of the next administration (20l6).
2. All public school children (and all public schools) will have a full year of pre-schooling as their introduction to formal schooling by 20l6.
3. Full basic education for all Muslim Filipino children anywhere in the country.
4. Re-introduce technical vocational education in our public high schools to better link schooling to local industry needs and employment.
5. By the end of the next administration, every child must be a reader by Grade l.
6. Rebuild the science and math infrastructure in schools so that we can produce more scientists, engineers, technicians, technologists, and teachers in our universities so that the country can be more globally competitive in industry and manufacturing.
7. Expand the government assistance to students and teachers i private education program (GASTPE) to a target of l million private HS students every year through education service contracting (ESC) while doing away with the wasteful education voucher system (evs) of this administration
8. Become tri-lingual — learn English well and connect to the world; learn Filipino as well and connect to our country, and retain your dialect and connect to your heritage.
9. No poor quality textbook in our schools. Textbooks will be judged by three criteria — “quality, better quality and more quality.”
l0. Build more schools in areas where are no public and private schools in a covenant with LGUs so that we can realize a genuine education for all.
Those views were given impromptu during a forum. You could see that the son of National Hero Ninoy and well-loved former President Cory has between his eras. Magaling talaga.
We are not l00 percent in concurrence with his ideas, but on the whole, he hurdles the test of education leaders on his perception of our educational system
He hit the bullseye when he advocated a longer period in educating our children. Worldwide, we have the shortest period. Developed countries like the US have longer. It’s well known that we can’t cram knowledge into l0 years when the normal rate is l2.
We have, if you’ve been following this column, batted for this idea long time ago. But don’t say we have presidential streak. Pang presidente lang ng Lyceum Northwestern U. But that’s great ha, what are you?
Noynoy says that once the government stops corruption, it will have money to fund the extra year. Watch closely how this education advocacy develops. Theoreticians of cultural and economic progress are one in the view that, well, as Jesli Lapuz says in his tarpaulins, “edukasyon and solusyon.”
Pam presidente yay Noynoy amo awa? Aralen tayo. But if you ask us, Liberal yan e. we have been LP chairman in Pangasinan, and we have not been replaced. Maybe, Victor Agbayani thinks otherwise. This though is another story.
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