Gatchalian's priority measures to address education crisis

Addressing the education crisis will be the focus of Senator Win Gatchalian's priority measures under the 19th Congress.

Gatchalian, who will retain his chairmanship of the Basic Education, Arts and Culture Committee, has filed a Senate resolution which calls for an inquiry on the implementation of the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 or the K to 12 Law (Republic Act No. 10533).

Gatchalian has pointed out that based on the results of international large-scale assessments, learners are failing to master basic competencies and lagging behind their peers abroad.

Based on pre-pandemic data, the World Bank estimates that learning poverty in the Philippines - which is defined as the percentage of children aged 10 who cannot read or understand a simple story -- is now at 90.5%.

Gatchalian's top priority measure is the Teacher Salary Increase Act, which seeks to raise the Salary Grades of Teachers I to Teachers III. Under Gatchalian's proposal, the new Salary Grades for Teachers I to III will be Salary Grades 13, 14, and 15 respectively---two Salary Grades higher than their current Salary Grades.

Other measures of Gatchalian from the 18th Congress which were refiled for the incoming Congress include the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program Act and the 21st Century School Boards Act.

The proposed ARAL Program Act seeks to institute a nationwide learning recovery program to address the impact of COVID-19 school closures. The proposed program seeks to focus on the most essential learning competencies in Language, Mathematics, and Science. The 21st Century School Boards Act, meanwhile, seeks to strengthen local government units' (LGUs) involvement in improving the quality and delivery of education.

Also included in the priority measures of Gatchalian for the incoming 19th Congress are the Arabic Language and Islamic Values Education (ALIVE) Act, the Digital Transformation in Basic Education Act, the Senior High School Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) Act, and the Mental Health in Basic Education Act.

"Sa ating mga panukalang batas, tutukan natin ang pagtugon sa krisis sa edukasyon at ang pagbangon ng sektor mula sa pinsalang dulot ng pandemya ng COVID-19. Titiyakin nating makakatanggap ang kabataang Pilipino ng dekalidad na edukasyon, lalo na't ito ang isa sa mga pundasyon ng maunlad na bansa," said Gatchalian.

Pagtugon sa krisis sa edukasyon prayoridad ni Gatchalian sa 19th Congress

Pagtugon sa krisis sa edukasyon. Ito ang tututukan ni Senador Win Gatchalian sa 19th Congress kasunod ng mga inihain niyang priority bills para sa sektor ng edukasyon.

Si Gatchalian ay mananatiling Chairman ng Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture. Naghain siya ng isang resolusyon upang repasuhin ng Senado ang pagpapatupad sa Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 o ang K to 12 Law (Republic Act No. 10533).

Binigyang diin ni Gatchalian na batay sa resulta ng mga international large-scale assessments, hirap ang mga mag-aaral ng bansa pagdating sa mga basic competencies. Nahuhuli rin sila kung ihahambing sa mga mag-aaral sa ibang bansa.

Bago tumama ang pandemya, tinataya ng World Bank na ang learning poverty sa bansa ay umabot na sa mahigit siyamnapung (90.5) porsyento. Ang learning poverty ay ang porsyento ng mga batang sampung (10) taong gulang na hindi marunong bumasa o umunawa ng maikling kwento.

Nangunguna sa listahan ng priority bills ni Gatchalian ang panukalang Teacher Salary Increase Act. Sa ilalim ng panukala, ang Salary Grade ng mga Teachers I, II, at III ay gagawin nang Salary Grades 13, 14, at 15--mas mataas ng dalawang Salary Grade sa kanilang kasalukuyang Salary Grades.

Muli ring naghain si Gatchalian ng mga panukalang batas mula sa 18th Congress. Kabilang dito ang Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program Act at ang 21st Century School Boards Act.

Layon ng panukalang ARAL Program Act ang pagkakaroon ng isang learning recovery program sa buong bansa upang tugunan ang pinsalang dulot ng kawalan ng face-to-face classes. Tututukan ng panukalang batas ang tinatawag na "most essential learning competencies" sa Language, Mathematics, at Science. Layon naman ng 21st Century School Boards Act na paigtingin ang pakikilahok ng mga lokal na pamahalaan sa paghahatid at pag-aangat sa kalidad ng edukasyon.

Kabilang din sa mga inihain ni Gatchalian para sa darating na Kongreso ang Arabic Language and Islamic Values Education (ALIVE) Act, ang Digital Transformation in Basic Education Act, Senior High School Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) Act, at ang Basic Education Mental Health and Well-Being Promotion Act.

"Sa ating mga panukalang batas, tutukan natin ang pagtugon sa krisis sa edukasyon at ang pagbangon ng sektor mula sa pinsalang dulot ng pandemya ng COVID-19. Titiyakin nating makakatanggap ang kabataang Pilipino ng dekalidad na edukasyon, lalo na't ito ang isa sa mga pundasyon ng maunlad na bansa," ani Gatchalian.