By: Gilbert M. Forbes
Four years to go and its 2015, the deadline set in the attainment of Education For All (EFA) Goals. Still, DepEd is a long way to go and achieving the said target remains a big challenge without the support of various sectors particularly local government units.
While support in terms of material inputs are on the rise, capital investment to increase participation rates is incomparable compared to that being received by college students. There are clear existing scholarships programs for college students being sponsored by local government executives and politicians but no concrete scholarships programs are in place for the basic education sector particularly for the highly marginalized and highly at-risked children.
There are so called voucher scholarship programs which subsidized tuitions fees of the college students which range from Php3,000 to Php7,000 and even more a year plus other scholarship programs being sponsored by different tertiary institutions, DOST, corporate organizations, foundations, NGO’s, private and philanthropic individuals but this is hardly felt in the basic education sector where support is much needed. There is GASTPE or Government Ass…….istance to Private Education but it is part of DepEd or national government’s program.
It is a fact that individuals who have not finished primary schooling or elementary grades are prone to exploitation and could not function well with the demands of the society as compared to those lucky enough to graduate high school. Thus, a low participation and drop-out rates in the basic education sector are un-healthier than the low participation rate in college and in the long run disadvantageous and liability on the part of the government.
Higher education is receiving an average of Php22,000 subsidy per students while basic education receives only around Php8,000. These tertiary institutions particularly SCU’s are commonly in competition not only with private schools but with fellow SCU’s and are offering irrelevant courses inconsistent with the needs of the job market and of the place where these are located. Thus, investments made by LGU’s for college students scholarships are a total gamble. Very low return or none at all could be expected except a sure patronage votes every three years.
Looking at the concept of basic economics and the logic of which is more important, one will see the unfair treatment and bias from our political leaders when it comes to support being given to Basic Education who needs it the most given the already very meager resources it has through the years.
If our political leaders really want to eradicate poverty as a main objective of the Millennium Development Goals, a holistic approach to education is needed and not the shallow approach towards it which is obviously populist and self-serving.
NOTE: See also Meeting the Challenges of EFA 2015 and Usapin ng 'Access,' Dapat Maging Pokus ng mga Pulitiko sa Kani-kanilang Programang Pang-edukasyon
(Mr. Gilbert M. Forbes had his Bachelors Degree and MA in Educational Management (CAR) from the Philippine Normal University. A campus paper adviser and trainer for 13 years. Currently, he is a school principal in one of the central schools in the Division of Quezon.)
Four years to go and its 2015, the deadline set in the attainment of Education For All (EFA) Goals. Still, DepEd is a long way to go and achieving the said target remains a big challenge without the support of various sectors particularly local government units.
While support in terms of material inputs are on the rise, capital investment to increase participation rates is incomparable compared to that being received by college students. There are clear existing scholarships programs for college students being sponsored by local government executives and politicians but no concrete scholarships programs are in place for the basic education sector particularly for the highly marginalized and highly at-risked children.
There are so called voucher scholarship programs which subsidized tuitions fees of the college students which range from Php3,000 to Php7,000 and even more a year plus other scholarship programs being sponsored by different tertiary institutions, DOST, corporate organizations, foundations, NGO’s, private and philanthropic individuals but this is hardly felt in the basic education sector where support is much needed. There is GASTPE or Government Ass…….istance to Private Education but it is part of DepEd or national government’s program.
It is a fact that individuals who have not finished primary schooling or elementary grades are prone to exploitation and could not function well with the demands of the society as compared to those lucky enough to graduate high school. Thus, a low participation and drop-out rates in the basic education sector are un-healthier than the low participation rate in college and in the long run disadvantageous and liability on the part of the government.
Higher education is receiving an average of Php22,000 subsidy per students while basic education receives only around Php8,000. These tertiary institutions particularly SCU’s are commonly in competition not only with private schools but with fellow SCU’s and are offering irrelevant courses inconsistent with the needs of the job market and of the place where these are located. Thus, investments made by LGU’s for college students scholarships are a total gamble. Very low return or none at all could be expected except a sure patronage votes every three years.
Looking at the concept of basic economics and the logic of which is more important, one will see the unfair treatment and bias from our political leaders when it comes to support being given to Basic Education who needs it the most given the already very meager resources it has through the years.
If our political leaders really want to eradicate poverty as a main objective of the Millennium Development Goals, a holistic approach to education is needed and not the shallow approach towards it which is obviously populist and self-serving.
NOTE: See also Meeting the Challenges of EFA 2015 and Usapin ng 'Access,' Dapat Maging Pokus ng mga Pulitiko sa Kani-kanilang Programang Pang-edukasyon
(Mr. Gilbert M. Forbes had his Bachelors Degree and MA in Educational Management (CAR) from the Philippine Normal University. A campus paper adviser and trainer for 13 years. Currently, he is a school principal in one of the central schools in the Division of Quezon.)
2 comments:
school-principal.blogspot.com is a great site
Thanks a lot for your appreciation. It is our simple effort to contribute something to educational delivery in our schools which is an integral part in achieving the changes that we want for our society.
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