Press Release
September 12, 2022

Gatchalian wants Math and Science High Schools in all provinces

Senator Win Gatchalian has refiled a measure that seeks to establish a math and science high school in all provinces nationwide, a move that aligns with the administration's directive to strengthen focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in basic education.

Under Senate Bill No. 476 or the Equitable Access to Math and Science Education Act, all provinces which do not have at least one public math and science high school shall work with the Department of Education (DepEd) to put up these institutions.

These schools shall implement a six-year integrated junior-senior high school curriculum that focuses on advanced science, mathematics, and technology subjects under the guidance of the DepEd and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). Those who graduated from these math and science high schools shall be required to enroll in fields such as the pure and applied sciences, mathematics, engineering, technology or any other field deemed appropriate by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

It can be recalled that the results of the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) showed that our learners ranked second to the last in Mathematics and Science among other learners in 79 countries. The Philippines also came out last in both Mathematics and Science in the 2019 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) out of 58 countries. In the Southeast Asia Primary learning Metrics 2019, only 17% of our Grade 5 learners met the minimum standards in Mathematics.

Gatchalian pointed out that based on UNESCO Institute of Statistics data, there are only 186 researchers per million inhabitants in the Philippines, one of the lowest among ASEAN countries. Thailand and Malaysia, for example, have 963 and 2,054 researchers per million inhabitants, respectively. To fulfill our collective goal to be the next Asian tiger economy, we must address these skills shortage through strategic human capital investments focused on the fields of Mathematics and Science, according to Gatchalian.

"This specialized academic preparation opens doors to critical thinking, financial literacy, and evidence-based decision-making and is highly critical to the improvement of the nation's economy as it relies on a workforce proficient in math and science," Gatchalian said.

"Sa Mathematics at Science nakasalalay ang pagsulong ng inobasyon sa ating bansa. Upang mahasa ang kaalaman ng mas marami nating mga kabataan pagdating sa agham at mathematics, isusulong natin na ang bawat probinsya sa Pilipinas ay magkaroon ng Math and Science High School na pagmumulan ng ating mga mathematician, engineer, at scientist," said Gatchalian, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education.


Math and Science High Schools sa lahat ng probinsya isinusulong ni Gatchalian

Muling inihain ni Senador Win Gatchalian ang kanyang panukalang magtatag ng math at science high school sa lahat ng probinsya sa bansa, bagay na sumasang-ayon sa direktiba ng administrasyon na patatagin at bigyan ng prayoridad ang Science, Technology, Engineering, at Mathematics (STEM) sa basic education.

Sa ilalim ng Senate Bill No. 476 o ang Equitable Access to Math and Science Education Act, ang mga probinsya na wala pang math at science high school ay bibigyan ng mandatong makipag-ugnayan sa Department of Education (DepEd) upang ipatayo ang mga paaralang ito.

Ang mga paaralang ito ay magpapatupad ng integrated junior-senior high school curriculum na tututok sa mga advanced na subject sa science, mathematics, at technology sa ilalim ng paggabay ng DepEd at ng Department of Science and Technology (DOST). Kukuha ng kurso sa pure and applied sciences, mathematics, engineering, technology at iba pang larangang irerekomenda ng Commission on Higher Education (CHED) ang mga nagtapos sa mga math and science high schools na ito.

Matatandang batay sa resulta ng 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), kung saan halos walumpung (79) mga bansa ang nakilahok, ang mga mag-aaral ng bansa ang nakakuha ng pangalawang pinakamababang marka pagdating sa Mathematics at Science. Ang Pilipinas din ang nakakuha ng pinakamababang marka sa Mathematics at Science sa 2019 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). Sa Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM) 2019 naman, labing-pitong porsyento (17) lamang ng mga mag-aaral ng bansa sa Grade 5 ang may taglay ng minimum standards pagdating sa Mathematics.

Binigyang diin naman ni Gatchalian na batay sa datos ng UNESCO Institute of Statistics, wala pang dalawang-daang (186) mananaliksik kada isang milyong katao ang meron sa bansa. Ang bilang na ito ang isa sa mga pinakamababa sa buong ASEAN. Sa Thailand, may halos isang libong (963) mananaliksik kada isang milyong katao, samantalang merong mahigit dalawang libong (2,063) mananaliksik kada isang milyong katao sa Malaysia. Upang matupad ang layunin ng bansa na maging susunod na tiger economy ng Asya, giniit ni Gatchalian na kinakailangang tugunan ang kakulangan sa strategic human capital investments na nakatutok sa Mathematics at Science.

"Ang specialized academic preparation ay nagbubukas ng mga oportunidad sa critical thinking, financial literacy, at evidence-based decision-making, mga bagay na mahalaga sa pagpapatatag ng ating ekonomiya, lalo na't kailangan natin ang workforce na mahusay sa math at science," ani Gatchalian.

"Sa Mathematics at Science nakasalalay ang pagsulong ng inobasyon sa ating bansa. Upang mahasa ang kaalaman ng mas marami nating mga kabataan pagdating sa agham at mathematics, isusulong natin na ang bawat probinsya sa Pilipinas ay magkaroon ng Math and Science High School na pagmumulan ng ating mga mathematician, engineer, at mga scientist," dagdag na pahayag ng Chairman ng Senate Committee on Basic Education.

News Latest News Feed