Gatchalian refiles bill to create National Education Council

To improve the harmonization of policies between the three education sub-sectors of the country, Senator Win Gatchalian has refiled a bill that seeks to create the National Education Council (NEDCO).

Senate Bill No. 2017 or the National Education Council Act creates the NEDCO to institutionalize a system of national coordination, planning, monitoring, evaluation, and management among the three education sub-sectors namely the Department of Education (DepEd), the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

The proposed measure seeks the formulation of a national education agenda, which shall be anchored on national development plans. It shall establish, among others, the country's strategic vision for education, long-term and medium-term goals, strategies for a coordinated and coherent implementation, and recommendations on the corresponding investments and appropriations.

The NEDCO's powers and functions will include the implementation of an action agenda for the development of the country's capacity for, and success in education as measured by indices and measures such as the National Achievement Test, Programme for International Student Assessment, Education Index, Education for All Development Index, and others it may deem appropriate in measuring growth and development of the education sector.

Under the proposed measure, the President will be the Chairperson of NEDCO while the DepEd Secretary, CHED Chairperson, and TESDA Director-General will serve as Co-Chairpersons. Other members of the Council will include the Senate President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and selected members of the cabinet.

In reviving his proposal to create the NEDCO, Gatchalian recalled that the 1991 Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM) recommended the creation of a coordinating body following the tri-focalization of the country's education system. While tri-focalization led to greater focus and depth in sub-sectors' planning and implementation of development programs, the Presidential Commission on Educational Reform (PCER) created in 1998 flagged how it resulted in possible overlaps, gaps, inconsistencies in and non-alignment of policies, plans, and programs.

"Sa pamamagitan ng ating panukalang bumuo ng National Council for Education, mapapaigting natin ang ugnayan sa iba't ibang tanggapan ng pamahalaan upang maiangat ang kalidad ng edukasyon sa ating bansa," said Gatchalian, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Basic Education.

The bill further provides that the national education agenda shall have a minimum of five (5)-year horizon, to be updated annually and reviewed periodically by the NEDCO.

Paglikha sa National Education Council muling ipinanukala ni Gatchalian

Upang mapaigting ang ugnayan ng mga polisiya sa pagitan ng tatlong ahensyang pang-edukasyon, muling inihain ni Senador Win Gatchalian ang isang panukalang batas na lilikha ng National Education Council o NEDCO.

Sa ilalim ng Senate Bill No. 2017 o ng National Education Council Act, nililikha ang NEDCO upang magkaroon ng institutionalized na sistema ng pambansang ugnayan, pagpaplano, pagmonitor, pagrepaso, at pamamalakad sa pagitan ng Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), at Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

Layon ng panukalang batas na magkaroon ng national education agenda na ibabatay sa mga pambansang planong pangkaunlaran. Isasaad sa national education agenda ang strategic vision ng bansa sa edukasyon, mga layunin, estratehiya para sa maayos na pagpapatupad ng mga programa, at mga rekomendasyon sa usapin ng pondo.

Kabilang sa mga magiging kapangyarihan ng NEDCO ang pagpapatupad ng mga hakbang upang magkaroon ng mataas na marka ang bansa sa mga assessment gaya ng National Achievement Test, Programme for International Student Assessment, Education Index, Education for All Development Index, at iba pang mga sukatan para sa growth at development sa sektor ng edukasyon.

Sa ilalim ng panukalang batas, ang Pangulo ang magiging Chairperson ng NEDCO at magiging Co-Chairpersons naman ang DepEd Secretary, CHED Chairperson, at TESDA Director-General. Magiging miyembro din ng NEDCO ang Speaker ng Mababang Kapulungan, Pangulo ng Senado, at ilang mga miyembro ng Gabinete.

Sa muling pagbuhay ng panukalang paglikha sa NEDCO, binalikan ni Gatchalian na nirekomenda ng 1991 Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM) ang paglikha ng isang coordinating body kasunod ng pagkakahati sa tatlong sub-sector ng sistema ng edukasyon sa bansa. Bagama't naging mas tutok ang tatlong sub-sector sa kanilang mga sariling programa, pinuna naman ng Presidential Commission on Educational Reform (PCER) noong 1998 na nagdulot ito ng mga posibleng overlaps, gaps, inconsistencies, at kawalan ng ugnayan sa mga polisiya, plano, at mga programa.

"Sa pamamagitan ng ating panukalang bumuo ng National Council for Education, mapapaigting natin ang ugnayan sa iba't ibang tanggapan ng pamahalaan upang maiangat ang kalidad ng edukasyon sa ating bansa," ani Gatchalian, Chairperson ng Senate Committee on Basic Education.

Nakasaad din sa panukalang batas na magkakaroon ng five-year horizon ang national education agenda na taon-taong rerepasuhin ng NEDCO.