EDITORIAL – New school year, same problems

The public has been warned to brace for the usual traffic “carmageddon” in Metro Manila as schools open today. The congestion is not just on the roads, however, but even in schools. While education officials say the government is all set for the school opening, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers says the country continues to face shortages of classrooms and teachers.

Holding classes in the shade of a tree may now be a thing of the past as both the government and private donors construct more classrooms and school buildings. The additional facilities, however, still cannot keep pace with the continuing growth of the student population. Teachers’ salaries have also been raised in recent years, but the increases are rarely enough, and higher pay in other countries continues to lure educators away from the Philippines. The shortage is most acute in conflict zones, where teachers are specifically targeted for kidnapping and execution by bandits such as the Abu Sayyaf.

Education officials say the textbook shortage has been addressed and there are continuing efforts to boost school facilities for information and communication technology. Even the government, however, acknowledges that more can be done to improve school facilities. In underdeveloped areas, there are schools that lack even access to water and electricity.

Apart from facilities, the overall quality of Philippine education suffers in comparison with some of the country’s neighbors. The Philippines used to be a regional center for quality education. With the exception of a handful of higher learning institutions, the Philippines has lost that edge. This has contributed to the country’s slide in international competitiveness rankings.

This school year marks the start of free tertiary education in certain local colleges and universities. Republic Act 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act of 2017 provides free tuition and other fees in the participating schools. Free, however, should not mean substandard education. The operative word in RA 10931 must be “quality” – whether in terms of facilities or the teaching.