PARENTS and others have expressed concern about surveys conducted by the United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the World Bank (WB), and others which show that we quickly fall behind other countries in terms of the slow progress in students’ knowledge of basic, K-3 subjects. We are assessed as being below global standards, particularly in reading capability.
For a long time, the Department of Education reacted in a prickly and defensive attitude when confronted with UNESCO/WB results. Specifically, DepEd suggested that UNESCO should consult with Itself first, before discussing results with others.
I disagree.
The results are in the public interest and therefore should become quickly part of the national conversation.
It was, therefore, extremely gratifying to read in the last Friday’s PN that DepEd, in conjunction with Iloilo City and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) are combining to improve early grade learning.
The resulting progress is designed to improve the training of teachers to increase their skills in the areas of literacy and numeracy so as to improve the quality of teaching from kindergarten to Grade 3.
I am reminded by the exhortation of Laura Bush, the wife of former US President George W Bush (2001-2009) who made the vital and inspirational objective. She said: ‘No child left behind.’ We need to apply this to our current situation where, sadly, many young students are not really grasping what goes on in the classroom.
USAID has already done much work in the Philippines and it is pleasing that its attention is now being applied to Iloilo.
***
It is also interesting to note that Mapua University has entered into an agreement with Arizona State University (ASU). This will enable Mapua students to combine with ASU courses to participate in summer immersion programs.
The press release mentions that Mapua is listed as among the top four universities in the Philippines alongside the University of the Philippines (UP), Ateneo, and LaSalle. I would have thought that the University of Santo Tomas (UST), founded in 1611, also ranked ahead of Mapua.
I would also caution Philippine institutions of tertiary education, such as Mapua, to take care before entering into agreements with American universities.
As far as tertiary institutions are concerned, a university such as the University of Arizona or the University of Michigan are, despite the similar names, far superior to Michigan State University or Arizona State University.
It is not clear to me that the joining of hands between Mapua and ASU will be of particular help to Mapua students.
Miriam Defensor-Santiago benefitted from an excellent education. Her main academic achievement was the successful completion of an excellent degree obtained from the University of Michigan. The nearby university, Michigan State is less prestigious.
***
It is rarely suggested that we have too little government in the Philippines. On the other hand, if there is to be more joint activities between Philippine Universities and institutions from the United States, there should be some involvement from a government instrumentality such as the Commission of Higher Education (CHEd) to ensure that our students will be attending courses of a high standard./PN
