As Class opening approaches, Teachers call for genuine reforms

Submitted by ACTNational on Fri, 06/03/2011 - 14:08.

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers  said that according to official data from DepEd  itself ,  the deficiency in the educational necessities has reached a new record high due to the hasty implementation of the universal kindergarten program under the K+12 scheme.

 “The haphazard implementation of K+12 and the inability of the government to resolve deficiencies in the number of teachers, classrooms, chairs, textbooks, comfort rooms will definitely affect  the quality of education in our country,” ACT Secretary General France Castro said in a press statement.

As per Castro’s notes, the deficiency worsened in all aspects: teachers – 103,599 from previous year’s 54,060; classrooms – 152,569 from previous year’s 61,343; chairs – 13,225,572 from previous year’s 816,290; Water and Sanitation – 151,084 from previous year’s 113,051. 

Castro noted that  DepEd’s 207-billion budget is nevertheless insufficient to meet the United Nations’ standard which is pegged at 6% of the GDP. The ACT Secretary General remarked that such dilemma would “all the more pull our education system to the abyss.”

Castro emphasized that even the government admits that the budget it has allotted for education is insufficient. Among ASEAN countries, the Philippines is just slightly ahead of Laos when it comes to the share of education in the GDP, while the rest of ASEAN give more funds to education.

“It is not true that the government has no funds. The PNoy’s administration has wrong priorities. In the 1.6-trillion peso National Budget for 2011, 823.3 billion is allotted for debt payments. This symbolizes the government’s systematic neglect and abandonment of social services such as education for the people,” Castro added.

Citing figures from various economic think tanks, the ACT Secretary General remarked that only a debt moratorium can help address our country’s educational woes aggravated by record-high deficiencies in all aspects.

“Debt moratorium will allow us to utilize taxes for the people’s welfare. Education is one of the best investment practices with proven high yields of return. Without quality education, no nation has reached high levels of development,” Castro concluded.#

 

Reference: Ms. France Castro

                Secretary General

                Cellphone No.: 09178502124