UNESCO report: Crisis means less education for the poor
ENSURE EDUCATION FOR ALL FILIPINOS AMID CRISIS - ANGARA

Sen. Edgardo J. Angara today said that we need to prioritize education in times of gripping financial crisis and credit crunch since it has long-term repercussions and inadequate investments on education of Filipinos would be detrimental to our drive towards global competitiveness.

"In times of crisis, Filipinos tend to prioritize basic needs for survival like food, shelter and utilities and education is often relegated to the sides. This phenomenon if unabated would lead to long-term deterioration of our educational system and our country's competitiveness," said Angara who chairs the Senate Committee on Finance.

Last October, the Department of Education through Secretary Jesli Lapus wrote the Committee on Finance to request for a budget augmentation amounting to Php 12.2 Billion to fund basic necessities for the education sector.

He added, "This calls for focused investments on education. I don't mind giving DepEd additional Php 12 B as long as they can focus their spending on key reform areas. These areas would include: faculty training, curriculum improvement, classroom construction and in studying the additional two years in basic education."

According to a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Global Monitoring Report on Education for All, "Overcoming Inequality: Why Governance Matters", many countries including the Philippines were way off target in their goal of achieving universal primary education.

Last July, the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) declared that the country is "far from achieving" Education for All by 2015. The report also noted a consistent drop in the participation rate or the net enrollment ratio at the elementary level from School Year (SY) 2002-03 to SY 2006-07.

The UNESCO report also concluded that RP's education inequalities "mirror" income inequalities.

"The most effective way to surmount poverty has always been education, and it remains to be so. But how can we help our country hurdle poverty if it is poverty itself that is hindering them from getting quality education? That is why I am always advocating for additional investments on education," added Angara.