REACTING to the country’s poor performance in the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), a senator suggested closing down small and “underperforming” schools.
It is unbelievable for such irresponsible and anti-student comment to come from one of the top officials in the land who is expected to uphold the Constitution, which mandates the State’s responsibility to provide free, quality education to all Filipinos. Such capitalistic view that reward is the ultimate driving force of man has no place in public service. It is a big insult to our teachers who sacrifice daily to teach despite wanting state support, not because of what they will get in exchange, but out of their real love for Filipino children and genuine sense of public service.
Schools should be erected wherever Filipino children are as their right to education needs to be fulfilled by the state. Sen. Cynthia Villar’s proposal, on the other hand, is tantamount to depriving Filipino children of their right to education, especially those in the far-flung areas.
Such comment shows sheer ignorance of the problems that beset the public education system and the unfortunate refusal to be part of the solution. She could have pushed for higher budget to education, substantial pay hike for teachers, review of the education curriculum, and other reforms that would improve the quality of education.
The declining quality of education is not due to teachers’ and students’ lacking drive to excel but due to problems on government subsidy, efficient implementation of programs, creation of enabling environment, and the curriculum’s orientation, content, and direction.
The senator should spend a month teaching in a far-flung barrio to see the sacrifices of teachers and how eager our students are to learn.
