The irony of DepEd

The Department of Education was mandated through Republic Act 9155, to formulate, implement, and coordinate policies, plans, programs and projects in the areas of formal and non-formal basic education. It supervises all elementary and secondary education institutions, including alternative learning systems, both public and private; and provides for the establishment and maintenance of a complete, adequate, and integrated system of basic education relevant to the goals of national development.

It has the mission to protect and promote the right of every Filipino to quality, equitable, culture-based, and complete basic education where: students learn in a child-friendly, gender-sensitive, safe, and motivating environment; teachers facilitate learning and constantly nurture every learner; administrators and staff, as stewards of the institution, ensure an enabling and supportive environment for effective learning to happen; family, community, and other stakeholders are actively engaged and share responsibility for developing life-long learners.

Has the DepEd achieved its mission as stated above? Will it meet UNESCO’s Education for All Goal by 2015? As our government administration changes over time, so do the policies, plans and programs of the department. It is very unfortunate that these constant changes in the system have proven to be detrimental to teachers, to the school environment, administrators and most of all to the students.

For instance, with the implementation of the K-12 program, many schools mass accelerated their students last year, making students skip a grade level to re-align themselves with the K-12 program. To many parents this meant extra savings of a year’s tuition fee. To many schools, it gave them an opportunity to offer a good bargain to attract more enrollees. But to the students, the effect is damaging. It is similar to using a “kalburo” (calcium carbide – a chemical use to quickly ripen fruits) to make sure the mango ripens quickly so it can be sold right away without considering its natural development.

Let me make myself clear once again, I support the K-12 program for the country’s educational advancement. But I am appalled on how DepEd has implemented it. By mass accelerating students, we force the children to grow up and deny them their basic right of two more years of childhood. As a result, these children are required to enter junior high school at such an early age.

If the Department of Education is committed in helping children as stated in their mandate, then, why would they allow this to happen? Is it a lapse on the part of some superintendents? I thought we jumped started the K-12 program to improve and strengthen the skills of our school children. Didn’t we just weaken the foundation of this batch of children, academically and emotionally?

Another issue I consider a “scam” in the public school system is about the National Achievement Test (NAT) given to Grade 3, Grade 6 and 4th year high school students. Recently, an association of private elementary and high schools called on DepEd to abolish the National Achievement Test on the premise that students need to think, not memorize! Eleazardo Kasilag, president of the Federation of Associations of Private Schools and Administrators (FAPSA), pointed out that public school teachers resort to “teach to test” to get incentives. Public schools that do not show “adequate yearly progress” in the NAT face sanctions such as a decrease in their Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses. There is also an allegation that teachers in schools that obtain high scores in the NAT receive P35K each. Kasilag added, “Teaching to test is simply item-teaching, which removes the validity of tests and it is reprehensible. It should be stopped.” I agree.

I have heard many horror stories about the NAT. There are several allegations that: (1) most public schools’ work plans are centered on the contents of the NAT; (2) classes are dominated with NAT reviews; (3) schools only select good students and discriminate the underachievers. In fact, some public school parents claim that teachers usually advise them, “Pag mahina, huwag na papasukin sa araw ng exam” (if the child is academically weak, don’t let them go to school on the day of the exam); (4) the appraisal of the Division Offices is reliant on the NAT performance of the whole division including private schools. This is used to assess not only the performance of the students, but also the principal and the teachers under her supervision wherein if the division fails to meet the expected performance they will not receive any merit from the higher office. Hence, the superintendent exhausts all possible means for the public school to get the highest score possible; (5) there are also claims of test leakages. Public and some private schools were actually given sets of test questionnaires; (6) alleged cheating during the NAT was deliberately condoned by some principals. This is another issue that needs the attention of DepEd.

The Department of Education can either confront these issues or easily deny all of them. But at the end of the day, the question remains the same. Is this really the kind of educational system we want to achieve? I must say we are very good in sustaining illiteracy in this country and very poor in eradicating it. Susmariosep!

By the way, standard achievement tests are given to students around the world. The results of such tests are relevant in making important educational decisions in the school level, the regional level and on the national level. Achievement tests inform parents of their child’s abilities in comparison to the norm used; results can be used by teachers to improve their programs to strengthen skills; schools can use them as a measurement tool to ensure that their students meet the local or international norms. This test should not be used by public schools to evaluate schools, evaluate teachers and promote students.

Students should not even review for such exams. We must look at achievement tests as tools in assessing students’ acquired skills in specific subjects. The presumption is that these skills have been acquired as a result of previously taught and learned lessons. If you want more reliable and valid results, don’t give the students reviewers.

I’m quite puzzled why DepEd does not get an independent group to administer achievement tests using either national or international norms. This move will actually give us an unbiased picture of the state of our educational system. As it is, the DepEd creates the tests, controls its implementation and reports to us the results. This is wrong. There are too many biases in such a system. I really wonder why DepEd officials cannot see such flaws that beset our educational system.

Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world… – Nelson Mandela