Gatchalian: SHS voucher program fails to decongest public schools

The lack of an effective targeting mechanism led to the failure of the Senior High School Voucher Program (SHS-VP) to decongest public senior high schools, Senator Win Gatchalian flagged.

He emphasized that by offering vouchers, students can choose from a wider range of schools, including private institutions. When students opt for private schools using vouchers, it can alleviate overcrowding in public schools.

"We should also prioritize poor students when implementing the voucher program. For me, it's a waste that we don't solve the problem of congestion because we are randomly giving the voucher program to students. That is why it is important that we have a mechanism for identifying congested areas and then allocating vouchers to those congested areas," Gatchalian said.

The chairperson of the Senate Committee on Basic Education said that if the SHS-VP had included an effective targeting mechanism, there would have been no more aisle learners in public senior high schools. Aisle learners refer to those who can no longer be accommodated in classrooms because of public school congestion. Data from the Department of Education (DepEd) and estimates from the senator's office reveal that 20% or 542,372 of 2,717,976 senior high school learners are considered aisle learners. For School Year (SY) 2023-2024, there are 1,276,677 grantees for the SHS-VP.

"If those 1.2 million targeted the 542,000, we wouldn't have any aisle learners anymore which means there would be no congestion because the number of aisle learners is less than the number of beneficiaries. In other words, there are twice as many beneficiaries of the voucher program who are not in congested schools," said Gatchalian during a hearing on the implementation of Republic Act No. 8545 or the Expanded Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education Act (E-GASTPE).

The senator also raised that the regions with the most number of private schools participating in the SHS VP do not have the most number of congested schools. While the National School Building Inventory as of June 30, 2023 shows that Region VII has the most number of congested schools, the Voucher Management System as of March 15, 2024 shows that Region IV-A has the most number of private schools participating in the SHS VP.

A 2018 Performance Audit Report by the Commission on Audit (COA) already flagged at that time that the DepEd had limited data on GASTPE's effects on the decongestion of public schools.

Meanwhile, Atty. Tara Rama, Director III of DepEd's Government Assistance and Subsidies Office, assured the basic education panel that the GASPTE's guidelines will be revised to address issues, including the targeting of congested areas.

Gatchalian: SHS voucher program bigong masolusyunan ang sisikan sa public schools

Dismayado si Senador Win Gatchalian sa kawalan ng epektibong pag-target sa mga benepisyaryo ng Senior High School Voucher Program (SHS-VP), bagay na aniya'y dahilan kung bakit nananatili ang siksikan sa mga pampublikong senior high school.

Sa pamamagitan ng voucher program, binibigyan ng pagkakataon ang mga mag-aaral na makapili kung saang paaralan nila gustong pumasok, kabilang dito ang mga pribadong paaralan. At kapag nakapasok na ang mga mag-aaral sa private schools gamit ang voucher, makatutulong itong makabawas sa siksikan sa mga pampublikong paaralan.

"Dapat bigyang prayoridad din natin ang mga mahihirap na mag-aaral sa pagpapatupad ng voucher program. Para sa akin sayang ang pondo, hindi natin nalulutas ang problema ng sobrang siksikan sa mga paaralan dahil hindi natin pinipili kung sino ba dapat ang lubos na nakikinabang sa voucher program. Kaya mahalaga na mayroon tayong paraang matukoy kung nasaan ba ang mga paaralang maraming nagsisiksikang mag-aaral at ilaan natin ang mga voucher sa mga lugar na iyon," ani Gatchalian.

Kung may epektibong paraan lamang ang SHS-VP para mag-target ng mga benepisyaryo, wala na sanang aisle learner sa mga pampublikong senior high school, ani Gatchalian. Aisle learners ang tawag sa mga mag-aaral na hindi na mabigyan ng espasyo sa loob ng mga silid-aralan dahil sa sobrang siksikan. Batay sa datos ng Senior High School Voucher Program (SHS-VP) at sa pagsusuri ng tanggapan ng senador, 20% o 542,372 sa 2,717,976 na mga mag-aaral sa senior high school ang itinuturing na aisle learners. Para sa School Year (SY) 2023-2024, may 1,276,677 grantees ng SHS-VP.

"Kung tinarget lamang natin yung 542,000 aisle learners upang mapasama sa 1.2 milyong mga benepisyaryo, wala na sanang nagsisiksikan na mga paaralan dahil mas mababa ang bilang ng mga aisle learners sa mga benepisyaryo. Mahigit doble ang bilang ng mga benepisyaryo ng voucher program na wala sa mga nagsisiksikang mga paaralan," giit ni Gatchalian sa isang pagdinig sa pagpapatupad ng Republic Act No. 8545 o ang Expanded Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education Act (E-GASTPE).

Dagdag pa ng senador, hindi tugma ang mga rehiyon na may pinakamaraming pribadong paaralang kalahok ng SHS VP sa mga rehiyong may pinakamaraming nagsisiksikang paaralan. Batay sa National School Building Inventory buhat nitong Hunyo 30, 2023, ang Region VII ang may pinakamaraming paaralang may siksikan. Ngunit ayon sa Voucher Management System buhat nitong Marso 15, 2024, Region IV-A ang may pinakamaraming pribadong paaralang kalahok ng SHS-VP.

Matatandaang pinuna na ng Commission on Audit (COA) sa isang Performance Audit Report noong 2018 na limitado ang datos ng DepEd pagdating sa epekto ng GASTPE sa siksikan ng mga pampublikong paaralan.

Nilinaw naman ni Atty. Tara Rama, Director III ng Government Assistance and Subsidies Office ng DepEd, magkakaroon ng rebisyon sa guidelines ng GASTPE upang tugunan ang iba't ibang mga isyu, kabilang ang pag-target sa mga lugar na may siksikan.