Year One Report of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II)

Summary

In this speech, Pasig City Representative Roman Romulo addresses the Philippine Congress about the country's ongoing education crisis. He highlights concerning statistics, including low international assessment rankings and deficiencies in early childhood education, textbook distribution, and teacher qualifications. Romulo discusses the efforts of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (Edcom 2) to investigate these issues and proposes long-term reforms to address gaps in governance, funding, and equitable access. He calls on Congress to unite in pushing for strategic reforms to ensure a brighter future for Filipino learners.

Takeaways

• 📉 The Philippines ranked lowest in reading, math, and science among 79 participating countries in the 2018 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA).
• 📊 Congress responded to this educational crisis by passing Republic Act No. 11899, aiming to address the issues in the education system.
• 🧒 The Philippines has one of the highest global rates of under-five stunting, which impacts children's cognitive development and future learning outcomes.
• 🏫 Access to early childhood education is inequitable, with only 36% of barangays having day care centers, and many teachers lacking proper qualifications.
• 📚 Despite high net enrollment rates, learning outcomes in schools are poor, indicating a gap between attendance and actual student achievement.
• 💰 Over a billion pesos is allocated annually for textbooks, yet only a fraction has been utilized, and very few textbook titles have been procured in recent years.
• 🏢 Higher education enrollment is increasing, but dropout rates remain high, with marginalized students still struggling to access higher education subsidies.
• 👩‍🏫 Passing rates for teacher licensure exams remain dismally low, raising concerns about the quality of teacher training institutions.
• 🔧 Tech-voc education participation is growing, but many programs do not lead to certification, leaving a large portion of the workforce uncertified.
• 💡 Governance and financial challenges, including inadequate staffing in education agencies, hinder the implementation of reforms and effective resource utilization.

Q & A

What was the main focus of Congressman Roman Romulo's speech?

The main focus of Congressman Roman Romulo's speech was to update the Congress on the state of education in the Philippines, highlighting the findings from the first year report of the second congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2), and discussing the challenges faced by the educational system.

What was the outcome of the Philippines' participation in the PISA 2018 assessment?

The Philippines ranked lowest in reading, math, and science among the 79 participating countries in the PISA 2018 assessment, which raised alarms about the state of the country's educational system.

What was the response of Congress to the PISA 2018 results?

In response to the PISA 2018 results, Congress passed Republic Act No. 11899, marking the beginning of a collective endeavor to address the issues within the education system.

What were the key findings from EDCOM 2's first year report?

The key findings from EDCOM 2's first year report included issues with early childhood education, low implementation of laws and programs, fragmented coverage, low qualification and training of early childhood educators, ineffective learning despite high enrollment rates, challenges in textbook procurement, and problems with assessments and learning outcomes.

What is the current state of early childhood education in the Philippines according to the script?

The current state of early childhood education in the Philippines is concerning, with high rates of under-five stunting, fragmented implementation of programs, low coverage, and a lack of qualified teachers with proper training.

How has the government addressed the issue of textbook procurement?

The government has allocated over a billion pesos annually for textbook procurement, but the review by EDCOM 2 revealed that only 27 textbook titles for grades 1 to 10 were procured over the past decade, with less than a billion pesos utilized from the allocated 12.6 billion pesos.

What are the challenges faced by the basic education system in the Philippines?

The basic education system faces challenges such as a disconnect between high enrollment rates and effective learning, outdated pedagogical approaches, and a lack of timely and effective assessments to inform educational interventions.

What is the current dropout rate in higher education in the Philippines?

The dropout rate in higher education in the Philippines is alarmingly high, with data from CHED indicating an attrition rate as high as 41% in 2020.

What are the issues with the current teacher education system in the Philippines?

The teacher education system faces issues such as low passing rates in licensure examinations, a large number of underperforming institutions, and a lack of support for teachers in terms of non-classroom responsibilities and professional development.

What is the state of technical-vocational education in the Philippines?

Technical-vocational education has seen increased participation, but most programs fall outside of training regulations, leading to a lack of national certification. There is also a challenge in aligning skills acquisition with industry standards and a maze of policies governing enterprise-based training.

What are the governance and finance challenges faced by the education sector in the Philippines?

Governance and finance challenges include inadequate staffing levels in education agencies, misalignment of funding with actual needs, inequities in the distribution of the Special Education Fund, and a lack of a national coordinating council for education leading to fragmentation and misalignment at various levels.