PNoy flunks in his freshman performance -- ACT
Teachers gives Noynoy failing marks for current education crisis
PNoy flunks in his freshman performance -- ACT
METRO MANILA – Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) gives PNoy a failing mark on his 1st year in office, denouncing the government's continuing neglect and abandonment of education and other social services.
Members of ACT joined the march to Mendiola Bridge, led by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN), to mark the first year of the Benigno Aquino III regime, with placards bearing "Edukasyon ng PiNoy, patungong kumuNoy."
"Every year, educators and employees of public basic and tertiary education bear the brunt of the insufficient budget for education, which results to large class sizes, and lack of teaching and learning facilities in our schools," ACT Secretary General Ms. France Castro said. “Sa unang taon ni PNoy, hindi niya niresolbahan ang ganitong masahol na kalagayan ng ating public basic and tertiary education, bagkus pinalala pa nga niya ito dahil sa kanyang patuloy na pagpapabaya at pag-abandona sa edukasyon ng mamamayan, at sa adelantado at iresponsableng pilit na pagpapatupad ng Universal Kindergarten Program.”
Castro added that "The quality of education is sinking, as if being buried in quicksand, and the Noynoy Aquino government should be acting at the root of the problem, and not just provide superficial solutions that benefit private institutions and corporations."
Benjie Valbuena, ACT National Vice Chairperson, also added that the state of tertiary education in the country is no different from the quality of basic education. "The government is slowly passing on the responsibility of educating Filipinos to private corporations, by slashing subsidies for our state universities and colleges," he said. "The salaries of teachers and employees are not sufficient for the daily cost of living, and the students are being forced to pay higher tuition and other fees for for them to finish their tertiary education."
Valbuena also cited that because of the zero budget for capital outlay, and the slashing of budget for maintenance and other operating expenses in SUCs, students are being crammed in large class sizes. "In PUP, EARIST and TUP, more students are forced into classes with 50 to 70 students. With those number of students per class, quality education cannnot be ensured. Educators should be able to give adequate attention to each student." He also added that classrooms should be conducive for learning, should have adequate seats and proper ventilation and other facilities.
ACT said in their statement that the state of education under the present administration has become worse than it was under Gloria Macapaga-Arroyo’s presidency. They said that the reforms being presented by Aquino, such as the additional years in basic education and the universal kidergarten, are “bogus and hollow.” They also said that the changes being put forward by the Aquino regime is regressive, and not progressive change in the education system.
“We thought that the quality of education has already hit rock bottom under the Arroyo regime,” Castro said. “But under Aquino’s so-called “daang matuwid”, it is sinking even lower.”
ACT clamored that the budget for education should be equal to the 6% Gross Domestic Product, and they also called for the increase in the salaries of teachers, education workers and employees. ##
