Proposed EDCOM revival should urgently address 'education crisis' - Gatchalian

The proposed revival of the Congressional Oversight Committee on Education (EDCOM) should pave the way for a more aggressive pursuit of reforms in the basic education sector, Senator Win Gatchalian said.

Without meaningful reforms to the country's basic education sector---from the curriculum, teacher quality, and education governance--Gatchalian warned that the intergenerational impact of the education crisis would outlast the COVID-19 pandemic. The lawmaker also flagged the current lack of a "catch-up plan", which should include learning recovery and remedial programs, to mitigate the learning losses resulting from protracted school closures.

A World Bank study said that more than 80 percent of Filipino learners are unable to meet learning standards expected for their grade level. It explains that poor classroom discipline, a weak sense of student belonging, and student bullying consistently emerge as key issues in Philippine schools. The WB study is based on our learners' poor performance in three large-scale international assessments held before the pandemic: the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), the Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM) 2019, and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2019.

Aside from decongesting the K to 12 curriculum to focus on core competencies, Gatchalian cited the importance of improving the quality of teacher education and training, the objective of Senate Bill No. 2152 or the Teacher Education Excellence Act. This seeks to amend Republic Act No. 7784 to make the Teacher Education Council (TEC) a responsive coordinating institution for the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), and the Department of Education (DepEd).

Gatchalian also proposed to increase the participation of local government units (LGUs) in improving the quality of education through Senate Bill No. 1579. Under this proposed measure, local school boards will be mandated to formulate and implement reforms and policies, which will be measured based on achievement scores in national tests, assessment tools, and other standardized test scores.

"Bago pa tumama ang pandemya, nasa ilalim na ng krisis ang sistema ng ating edukasyon kaya lalo pa nating dapat paigtingin ang reporma upang maiwasan natin ang lalong pag-urong ng kaalaman ng ating mga kabataan," said Gatchalian.

Senate Joint Resolution No. 10 seeks the revival of the EDCOM, which was first created in 1990 and led to the creation of the report Making Education Work, An Agenda for Reform. Gatchalian joined Senators Sonny Angara, Franklin Drilon, Grace Poe, and Joel Villanueva in the filing of the said resolution.

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Muling pagbuo ng 'EDCOM' inaasahang tutugon sa 'education crisis' ---Gatchalian

Maigting na pagsulong at pagpapatupad ng mga reporma sa sektor ng edukasyon. Ito ang nais ni Senador Win Gatchalian na maisakatuparan sa panukalang magbuo uli ng Congressional Oversight Committee on Education (EDCOM).

Kung walang makabuluhang reporma sa sektor ng edukasyon---mula curriculum, kalidad ng mga guro, hanggang sa education governance---ang pinsalang dulot ng krisis sa edukasyon ay maaaring tumagal pa kahit tapos na ang pandemya ng COVID-19, babala ni Gatchalian. Ikinabahala rin ng mambabatas ang kasalukyang kawalan ng "catch-up plan" o remedial programs upang matulungan ang mga mag-aaral na makahabol mula sa epekto ng isang taong pagsasara ng mga paaralan.

Lumabas sa isang pag-aaral ng World Bank na mahigit walumpung (80) porsyento ng mga mag-aaral sa bansa ang hindi natututo ayon sa kanilang antas. Lumabas din sa naturang pag-aaral ang ilan sa mga pangunahing isyu tulad ng mababang kalidad ng disiplina sa classroom, mga insidente ng bullying, at ang pakiramdam ng mga mag-aaral na hindi sila tanggap sa kanilang mga paaralan.

Ang pagsusuring ito ng World Bank ay batay sa datos ng tatlong malalaking international assessments na isinagawa bago pa tumama ang pandemya: ang 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM) 2019, at Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2019.

Maliban sa pag-decongest ng curriculum, binigyang diin ni Gatchalian ang kahalagahan ng pag-angat sa kalidad ng pagsasanay at edukasyon ng mga guro, bagay na nais matamo ng Senate Bill No. 2152 o ang Teacher Education Excellence Act. Layon ng panukalang batas na amyendahan ang Republic Act No. 7784 upang paigtingin ang kakayahan ng Teacher Education Council (TEC) na pagbuklurin ang Commission on Higher Education (CHED), ang Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), at ang Department of Education (DepEd).

Isinusulong din ni Gatchalian ang mas malaking papel ng mga local government units sa pag-angat ng kalidad ng edukasyon sa pamamagitan ng Senate Bill No. 1579. Sa ilalim ng naturang panukala, magiging mandato sa mga local school boards ang pagpapatupad ng mga reporma para maiangat ang kalidad ng edukasyon. Ito ay susukatin gamit ang datos mula sa mga achievement scores ng national tests, assessment tools, at iba pang standardized test scores.

"Bago pa tumama ang pandemya, nasa ilalim na ng krisis ang sistema ng ating edukasyon kaya lalo pa nating dapat paigtingin ang reporma upang maiwasan natin ang lalong pag-urong ng kaalaman ng ating mga kabataan," ayon kay Gatchalian.

Isinusulong ng Senate Joint Resolution No. 10 ang muling pagbuo ng EDCOM na unang binuo noong 1990. Dahil dito ay nabuo ang ulat na pinamagatang Making Education Work, An Agenda for Reform. Isa si Gatchalian sa mga naghain ng naturang resolusyon kasama sina Senador Sonny Angara, Franklin Drilon, Grace Poe, at Joel Villanueva.

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