Press Release
July 12, 2008

ROXAS: KEEP KIDS IN SCHOOL, AUGMENT FOOD-FOR-SCHOOL
FOOD, OIL, EDUC CRISIS MEANS NOT "BUSINESS-AS-USUAL"

Senator Mar Roxas warned that more children could drop out from school as their families are having a hard time coping with sky-high food and oil prices.

He called on the government to review and revamp its "business-as-usual" spending and reallocate funds to augment genuine food-for-school programs to keep children in school.

"Hihigupin ng lumalawak na tag-gutom at kahirapan ang pagkakataon ng bawat kabataan na makapag-aral at magkaroon ng magandang kinabukasan. Hindi dapat natin ito payagan (Widespread hunger and poverty could drain each child's chance to study and have a better future. We should not allow this to happen)," he said.

"Most kids drop out from school young. During 'normal times,' already 22% of children who enter Grade 1 will have dropped out by Grade 3. Studies show a strong correlation between poor nutrition and high dropout rates. This could worsen, if the food and oil price crisis goes on unaddressed," he added.

Roxas noted that 30% of all pupils aged 6 to 12 are underweight or below the normal height for their age. He said that if malnutrition does not lead young students to drop out, it hampers their ability to learn the core competencies. He noted further that of all Grade 6 students, only 26%, 15% and 31% of students gain the required mastery of English, Science and Math, respectively.

"If we do not address our children's grumbling stomachs right away, this will have a domino effect on our economy's robustness and our country's progress. We cannot afford to be in 'business-as-usual' mode anymore," he said.

The Liberal Party President said the government must review its spending program and re-channel funds to urgent needs such as immediate relief and food security.

In particular, he said that the Kilos Asenso Fund and other "pork-barrel-type spending" should be realigned towards augmenting genuine food-for-school programs. By "genuine" food-for-school programs, he said direct school feeding that is targeted to the most undernourished children is most effective. On the contrary, mere rice distribution does not guarantee a positive impact.

In reviewing the budget, he said the government should also consider the following:

  • Suspend big-ticket capital expenditures, where a large chunk of the funds spend would only go to "right-of-way" purchases that do not create jobs and only tends to leak out of the domestic economy;
  • Ensure food security by prioritizing farmer support through seeds, fertilizers and credit, and by rehabilitating irrigation systems;
  • Accelerate maintenance spending, specifically those that have a high labor component, including rehabilitation of classrooms and irrigation systems;

EDUC REFORM REQUIRES NOT JUST MORE OF THE SAME

Roxas stressed that the road to world-class education in the Philippines would require spending on focused and effective programs, as well as a change in outlook on what the Philippine education system needs. "If we want to improve our youth's education outcomes and give them a better chance to progress, we can't be in 'business-as-usual' mode anymore."

"We can't raise our education standards by doing just more of the same. We can't drop a larger lump sum in the lap of DepEd and expect things to get better," he said, noting that the Palace is set to submit its proposed 2009 national budget next month.

Roxas has filed Senate Bill No. 2294, the Omnibus Education Reform Act, which is based on a continuing study on the defects of our educational system. It seeks to initiate the promoting of higher standards in our country's education system.

"We need to have a focused approach in improving Philippine education. We have to get to the root of the problem of poor student performance, insufficient aptitude of teachers, and the overall resources provided to our youth," he said.

The bill proposes the institutionalization of a long-term planning process for education, through rolling five-year budget plans that are consistent with quantitative and qualitative targets.

"Kung sa aritmetik lang, pinakamalaki na nga ang nakukuha ng edukasyon sa budget. Ang tanong, bukod sa 'sapat ba ito,' ay 'tama ba ang paggamit dito?' (Arithmetically, education gets the largest chunk of the budget. But the question, aside from 'is it sufficient,' is 'is it spent the right way?)" he added.

The bill also seeks that ten years after reforms have been implemented, improvements in key metrics must have already been achieved, such as

  • Grade school cohort survival rate, to 83% (now 68%);
  • Transition rate from Grade 6 to 1st year High School, to 99% (now 87%);
  • High School cohort survival rate, to 85% (now 72%)
  • Overall completion rate, to 70% (now 43%)

To help identify and focus on students that require special learning assistance, the bill seeks to impose performance standards through diagnostic tests at the end of Grades 3 and 6, key junction points of the students' learning of core competencies.

Meanwhile, to help teachers arm their students with the right competencies and knowledge, the bill seeks intensive training and upgrading programs for teachers. These include training programs on teaching methods using the mother language for teachers in Grades 1 to 3; and upgrading courses for English, Science and Math teachers who are not majors in these subjects.

The proposed reforms in the bill also include mandating the use of the mother tongue as medium of instruction for Grades 1 to 3, as studies have shown that early education in the local language tends to be more effective; and electives for High School, to equip students with the competencies needed as they decide to pursue College or to join the workforce after graduation.

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