This is the challenge posed by an education advocacy group to all those planning to run in the 2022 elections, as it stressed the importance of including a “comprehensive education strategy” in their campaign platforms.
“From the very top, down to our local governments, kailangan lahat ng kandidato ay hindi lang mangako kundi magpakita ng plano kung paano nila haharapin ang krisis sa edukasyon na nagbabanta sa kinabukasan ng kabataan,” Philippine Educators Alliance for Community Empowerment (PEACE) Party-list President Marie Paz T. Abante said.
Candidates should pledge to increase spending on child nutrition and education to address stunting and illiteracy; provide more financial support for poor families; and ensure that students have easy access to learning materials especially in light of the increased demands of distance learning, Abante said.
“The education crisis is a long-term issue. Hindi puwedeng bara-bara lang ang pagtugon natin.”
Making schools “pandemic-proof” in anticipation of the return to face-to-face learning should also be a top priority, she added.
Earlier, the party-list also urged LGUs to allocate their windfall from the Mandanas ruling on internal revenue allotments to address local education issues.
Various groups have sounded the warning over a learning crisis because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
A recent study by the Asian Development Bank said that the shift to a remote learning system due to the pandemic would lead to long-term losses, which may also, stunt future job opportunities and result to an income decline worth about $180 (₱8,600) yearly.
“From the very top, down to our local governments, kailangan lahat ng kandidato ay hindi lang mangako kundi magpakita ng plano kung paano nila haharapin ang krisis sa edukasyon na nagbabanta sa kinabukasan ng kabataan.”
A World Bank report for which the Department of Education demanded an apology meanwhile said that over 80 percent of Filipino students fall below the minimum proficiency levels.
“The education crisis is a long-term issue. Hindi puwedeng bara-bara lang ang pagtugon natin. That’s why those who wish to take on the responsibility of leading our people should show that they are serious in tackling all the gaps that hamper our youth from reaching their full potential,” said Abante.
