Gatchalian seeks inquiry on complementary roles of public, private schools to achieve education goals

Senator Win Gatchalian is seeking a Senate inquiry on strengthening the complementary roles of public and private schools to achieve the country's national objectives and sustainable development goals in education.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education pointed to the urgency of addressing challenges hounding the private education sector, some of which were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic downturn. Enrollment for School Year (SY) 2021-2022, for instance, was 23 percent below pre-pandemic levels, which resulted in the closure of 185 private schools during this period.

In Proposed Senate Resolution No. 12, Gatchalian pointed out the need to formulate a dynamic and responsive framework to further operationalize the principle of complementarity between public and private institutions to establish an integrated system of education relevant to the needs of the people which is in adherence to the mandate of the Constitution.

Another challenge of the education sector is the discrepancy in salaries between public and private school teachers, which resulted in the exodus of teachers to public schools. The average monthly public school teacher salary was P20,754 in 2019 and increased to P22,316 in 2020 when the second semester of SY 2019-2020 began. On the other hand, a survey done by the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations of the Philippines (COCOPEA) on its member associations revealed that the average monthly private school teacher was P14,132 at the elementary level, P15,048 in junior high school, and P16,258 in senior high schools.

Gatchalian also pointed to challenges in implementing Republic Act No. 6728, as amended, or the Expanded Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (E-GASTPE), which enabled the use of public-private partnership in education through various forms of assistance to students and teachers. These forms of assistance were further expanded under Republic Act No. 10533 or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, also known as the K to 12 Law.

"Ang ating mga pribadong paaralan ay ating katuwang sa paghahatid ng dekalidad na edukasyon para sa ating mga kabataan. Dahil patuloy nilang hinaharap ang maraming mga hamon na lumala pa noong panahon ng pandemya, napapanahong pag-aralan natin kung paano sila makakabangon muli," Gatchalian said.

Gatchalian: Ugnayan ng mga pribado, pampublikong paaralan sa pagkamit ng mga layunin sa edukasyon dapat suriin

Nais suriin ni Senador Win Gatchalian ang "complementary roles" ng mga pribado at pampublikong paaralan tungo sa pag-abot ng bansa ng mga layunin nito o sustainable development goals sa sektor ng edukasyon.

"Ang mga pribadong paaralan ay katuwang ng mga pampublikong paaralan sa paghahatid ng dekalidad na edukasyon para sa ating mga kabataan. Dahil patuloy na hinaharap ng private schools ang mga hamon na lumala pa noong panahon ng pandemya, napapanahong pag-aralan natin kung paano sila makakabangon muli," ani Gatchalian.

Ayon sa mambabatas, mahalagang matugunan ang mga hamong kinakaharap ng mga pribadong paaralan, lalo na't pinalala ang mga ito ng pandemya at ng paghina ng ekonomiya. Halimbawa, dahil mas mababa ng 23 porsyento ang enrollment rate ng school year 2021-2022 kung ihahambing sa bilang na naitala bago tumama ang pandemya, nagsara ang 185 na mga pribadong paaralan.

Sa Proposed Senate Resolution No. 12, binigyang diin ni Gatchalian na kinakailangan ang isang naaakmang framework para sa pagpapatupad ng tinatawag na principle of complementarity sa pagitan ng mga pampubliko at pribadong paaralan. Ito ay upang magkaroon ang bansa ng sistema ng edukasyon na tutugon sa mga pangangailangan ng bansa alinsunod sa mandato ng Saligang Batas.

Isa pang hamong kinakaharap ng sektor ng edukasyon ang pagkakaiba ng sahod ng mga guro sa pampubliko at pribadong mga paaralan na naging sanhi ng paglipat ng maraming guro sa public schools. Ang average na sahod ng mga guro sa pampublikong paaralan kada buwan ay P20,754 noong 2019 na tumaas sa P22,316 sa pagsisimula ng ikalawang semestre ng school year 2019-2020. Ayon naman sa survey ng Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations of the Philippines (COCOPEA), ang average na buwanang sahod ng isang guro sa pribadong paaralan ay P14,132 sa elementarya, P15,048 sa junior high school, at P16,258 sa senior high school.

Tinukoy din ni Gatchalian ang mga hamon sa pagpapatupad ng na-amyendahan nang Republic Act No. 6728 o ang Expanded Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (E-GASTPE). Ipinatupad sa ilalim ng batas ang public-private partnership sa edukasyon sa pamamagitan ng iba't ibang tulong pinansyal sa mga guro at mag-aaral. Ang mga tulong pinansyal na ito ay pinalawig sa ilalim ng Republic Act No. 10533 or o ang Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 na mas kilala bilang K to 12 Law.