ADD MORE VOICES TO EDUCATION REVIEW BODY, GOV’T URGED

An advocacy group said the proposed body that would review and recommend reforms for the educator sector should include other stakeholders like teachers, after a pending bill in Congress limited the commission to only lawmakers.

The Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) said in a recent statement that the Education Commission (Edcom) should be multi-sectoral, instead of being composed only of members of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

The House Bill No. 10308, or the Edcom Bill, seeks to create a nonpermanent body that will review the current education sector and recommend reforms. While a review of the damage of the learning crisis has been long overdue, not all stakeholders could be represented in the current form of the bill.

Ramon del Rosario Jr., chair of PBEd and president of Phinma Corp., emphasized the value of representation because it “ensures that practical and theoretical expertise from the ground are heard.”

“Education stakeholders should be represented: the private sector, teachers, school leaders, education experts and civic organizations are ready to work collaboratively with the national government and complement each other’s effort in building and re-building the system,” Del Rosario said.

PBEd also urged President Duterte to certify the bill as urgent.

This, PBEd executive director Love Basillote said, “will signal that the government is serious in addressing the learning crisis.”

“We have a small window of opportunity to pass the bill before Congress is taken over by the campaign period in February 2022. We will take this chance because this is a step towards resolving the learning crisis,” Basillote said.