Top business execs lend hand in flaws in RP education

Top business executives have joined academicians to formulate policy reforms "to address fundamental flaws of the country’s educational system."

Among the luminaries that will try to change the course of the country’s educational system through the Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) are: Jaime Zobel de Ayala II, Aurelio M. Montinola III, Manuel V. Pangilinan, Washington SyCip, Walter Manning, Tony Tan Caktiong, Placido Mapa, George T. Yang, Ramon R. del Rosario Jr., Monico V. Jacob, Chito B. Salazar, Magdaleno B. Albarracin Jr., Oscar M. Lopez, Rizalino S. Navarro, Jose L. Cuisia Jr., Paul G. Dominguez, Ricardo J. Romulo, and Oscar J. Hilado.

Expected to grow the growing list are Lance Y. Gokongwei, Jose Pardo, and Tessie Sy.

In a press briefing, the PBEd said the country is getting "close to an education crisis," a situation that could lead to huge opportunity losses for the economy not to mention threats to the economic and political well-being.

The convenors plan to reach a consensus on key policy directions in reforms in the country’s educational system. The plan involves first getting the business community to join ranks, then tap the adaceme, and finally get the regulators to agree on the proposals.

In order to address the fundamental flaws in the policy framework of the education sector, business must get their acts together with help from the experts.

"There may be a need for Legislation thus we need to get the National Government’s participation," said Phinma president and chief executive officer Ramon del Rosario Jr., adding that they had initial discussions with Education Secretary Jesli Lapus and his predecessor Butch Abad.

Roughly P1.2 billion are already spent by the business community for education in the form of donations through its foundations. There are even bigger investments in private-run educational institutions.

"We want to get all of these efforts together. And we are looking for synergy of business efforts," said Jose L. Cuisia Jr., president of the Philippine American Life and General Insurance Corp.

Among the first priorities are lengthening the formal basic education (elementary and high school) cycle time from the existing 10 years to 12 years. The average cycle time in the region is over 12 years.

Other priorities are improvig the quality of teachers, developing the medium of instruction, financing education, and focusing business sector contributions.

In the recent national achievement tests for high school students nationwide, 98 percent failed, with the highest mark at just 81 points. In the high school preparedness national examnations, 95 percent failed.