MANILA, Philippines- Inaprubahan ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos ang Cabinet cluster para talakayin ang education crisis ng bansa sa isang “whole system rather than in multi-agencies silos.”
Sa briefing sa Malakanyang, inanunsyo ni Palace press briefer Daphne Oseña-Paez na: “President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. approved in principle the creation of a Cabinet Cluster for Education. This is to synthesize a common vision and common direction to reform the education system to have a positive long-term effect on every Filipino student and graduate.”
Ang hakbang na ito ay matapos kilalanin ni Pangulong Marcos ang “urgent need to address this learning crisis that has crippled our education system for decades” na ayon kay Oseña-Paez ay nagresulta ng learning gap na 5.5 taon para sa mga estudyanteng Pilipino.
“President Marcos directed the agencies to device a coherent and system-wide national integrated education and workforce development strategy that starts from early childhood education to basic education, senior high school, and so on,” aniya.
“The President directed the proposed Cabinet cluster to ensure that education issues are tackled as a whole system rather than in multi-agencies silos,” dagdag na wika nito.
Kapwa naman tinanggap nina Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sonny Angara at Executive Director Karol Mark Yee ng Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2), ang naging desisyon ng Chief Executive.
“We are very thankful to the President for his swift action,”ayon kay Angara.
Ito aniya ang kanilang unang presentasyon sa panukalang lumikha ng Cabinet Cluster for Education.
Ibinahagi rin nito ang hangarin ng Pangulo ay “to fast track some of the actions” dahil ang education crisis ay isang “deep-seated problem” na nagde-demand ng urgency.
Sa kabilang dako, inamin naman ni Yee na ang pagresolba sa learning crisis ay nananatiling primary duty ng DepEd.
Sinabi pa rin nya na “it is not something that can achieve on its own” at binigyang-diin ang pangangailangan ng tulong ng ibang ahensya.
“It is really the national education and workforce development plan that is long term that will anchor them all to make sure there is one coherent direction,” giit ni Yee.
Inilarawan naman ni Angara ang magiging trabaho ng Cabinet cluster na lilikha ng “10-year integrated national education and workforce development plan” at “make sure the agency targets and budgets are aligned to support this plan every year.”
Ayon sa Kalihim, ang cluster ay bubuuin ng DepEd, Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), at Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
Nilinaw din nito na ang cluster ay hindi na mangangailangan pa ng karagdagang pondo dahil ito’y nakapaloob na sa umiiral na budget.
Samantala, sa 2022 World Bank report ukol sa global learning poverty, lumitaw na siyam mula sa 10 Pilipino ang hindi marunong magbasa at umunawa ng “simple age-appropriate text” sa edad na 10.
Makikita sa 2022 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) na ang Pilipinas ay nananatiling “weakest” sa matematika, pagbabasa at agham.
Mas mababang sa 25% ng mga estudyanteng Pilipino ang kumuha ng pagsusuri noong 2022 ang nakaabot sa minimum level ng proficiency sa matematika, pagbasa at agham.
Ipinahihiwatig lamang nito na ang Pilipinas “performed worse” kaysa sa global average sa lahat ng kategorya.
Samantala, nang tanungin naman si Angara kung ano ang maaaring grado na maibibigay niya kay Vice-President Sara Duterte na dating Kalihim ng DepEd, natawa lamang ang Kalihim sabay sabing “naku, ikaw naman. ibubulong ko sa ‘yo mamaya,” sabay tawa muli. Kris Jose
