Finger-pointing over low students aptitude test won t solve lingering DepEd problems

CEBU, Philippines — Perennial and lingering issues surrounding the Department of Education should not be the subject of finger-pointing, especially the frustrating low performance of the Philippines when it comes to students  aptitude test in the global community.

 Finger-pointing and blaming others will bring us nowhere. Leadership is all about being captain of the ship. It s very clear that DepEd has always received the largest budget every fiscal year,  Rep. Janette Garin of Iloilo pointed out.

 If there were problems, they likely came from a lack of direction and a poor system of implementation,  the doctor-legislator said, refuting Vice President Sara Duterte Carpio s claims the government s budget, particularly during her time as Secretary of DepEd, was mishandled.

 If there were issues during her tenure at DepEd, why didn t she raise them when she had the power to make changes?  Garin asked,  it s easy to claim a lack of support after the fact, but real leadership is about taking action and making a difference when it matters, not after you resigned.

The most notable problem the agency had during Carpio s reign was Manila s low standing in the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) which assesses the knowledge and skills of 15-year-old students in mathematics, reading and science.

Others include perennial teacher welfare problems should have been also addressed during her time, including long working hours for educators, high teacher-student ratio, the burden of administrative tasks, promotion opportunities and commensurate compensation.

 DepEd had the resources, yet we saw little improvement in key areas like education quality and infrastructure. If there was mismanagement, it s time to own up to it and work on real solutions, not just criticize from the sidelines,  the House Deputy Majority Leader stressed.

According to Garin, oversight meetings on the DepEd budget revealed textbooks, school furniture, learning materials, IT hardware amounting to billions, languishing for two to three years in various warehouses.

Another administration lawmaker, Rep. Jil Bongalon of party-list Ako Bicol, made similar comments.

 If there were indeed budget issues, why raise them only now? It s easy to blame others, but real leadership is about finding solutions and taking responsibility,  he said,  what s wrong? You never mentioned that before.

The former DepEd chief earlier claimed that the government s budget, as detailed in the General Appropriations Act, has been mishandled, leading to inefficiencies and unresolved issues in various departments.

Carpio likewise specifically mentioned that while she tried to correct these problems during her time at DepEd, she received no support from the national government and saw no changes in the administration of President Marcos.

The Bicolano lawmaker also highlighted unresolved issues under Carpio s leadership, particularly the Philippines' poor performance in the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).

 DepEd had nearly two years to improve our students' proficiency levels, yet we still ranked near the bottom globally. And this happened under your watch, on the very day you resigned as DepEd Secretary,  Bongalon said. (CEBU NEWS)