CONTENDERS VII.

LAR AND ROXAS TAKE ON THE ISSUE OF BASIC EDUCATION

The Making of an
Education President
EY CARLOS VAIANAO

-i3-*-s
 Of(oulsg it willbe ifiesponsible for us
say that this is all they've qot or even that
this is entirely about their 2010 campaign
offensive 8ut certainly, it will be lair to
say that thei. respective legislative agenda
should represent their own views on
education, and yet what the voting public
can expect from either one if he becomes
president ofthe republic. So whetherthey
like it or not. educators---€nd the general
public-must viewthese two bills as
illustrative of their respective education
agenda for 2010.
Sutely, we can assume thatthe Iace is on
forthe top post ofthe land.With these
two pivotalbillS we can also a5sume that
Education willbecome a major battle-
ground for the coming presidential derby.
This, without a doubt, i5 a good thing. lt
to begin with, the dght thing-Eduction
should be one ofthe key socialissues our
next prcsident should address.
And it all begins with us finding a suitable
candidate, one who can rcally make sense
of the issues and com€ up with viable so_
lutions to the manyproblem5 oI edutation
in this colntry
can this be the making ofan education
president? We should al'hope so. The
indisputable tfuth is that we need a leader
who truly Lrnderstands what it means to
b€ an edLlcation president.And we are
definitely desperate forone by 2010.
TiIE PROPOSED BII.LS
Roxas'Senate Bill 2294was filed late
l\,lay whileVillar's Senate Bill 2366 came
out earlylune oIthis year (lntercstingly.
the press release for Villa/s bill came out
earlier than Roxas').
SgN 2294 lP.oxasl is An Act Manda-
ting Aftainnent of Globa y ConPeti-
to tive Education outconet, Adopting an
onnibut Education Refom Prcgam,
ldenti{ying fot that Purpose the Stra-
tegic Conponents of such Proghn,
Appropiating Funds fherefot and fol
Othet Putposes,
SBt'l 2366 Mllaf) is AnAd fo fniure
the Full Realization of tlle Constitutional
Right of All Citi4ens to Quality Education
1rdaining for the Puryose'A No Filipino
child Lelt Behind Act of 2008."
We shalllook closelyatthese two proposals.
THE ROXAS BILL
SBN 2294, the omnibus Edu.ation Refom
/ctof2008as proposed by Senator Mar
it Roxas, is nothing but pure genius,lt may
perhaps be what education refofiners
have been drcaming about for yea6-
a piece ol legislation that can rcspond to
the myriad of problems that plague our
basic education system.
It is a strategic solotion to the oisis in
basiceducation.
As omnibus legislation, it covers a lot of
ground. But more than th€ wide-ranging
coverage ofthis bill, what is truly good
aboutit is that it offe6 great so utions to
our problems in basic ed.
A lot of Roxas' propositions arc not new
This may actually be a good thing, since
it means he mightvery wellbe on the
ghttfack. For instance, his billproposes
adding two more years to baiic educa-
tion to followthe globalstandard 12-year
cycle. Alsq his bill pushes for the use of
the mother tongue as medium of instruc-
tion lor all subjects in the firsl three years
of sdooling, again in linewith lhe global
standard. ll cove6 on-aite rdool te€ding
(not rice distribution!). tud it attempts to
truly institutionalize pre-5ahool edu(a-
tion (instead of merely relying on thoge
daycre centers funded by local govern-
ments).Without a doubt all ol these are
excellent proposals.
Moreove[ this Roxas bill gives a lot of ex-
cellent innovations in teacher welfare and
development, including a systematic way
ofdealing with in-service training. lt offe6
a two-track secondary school cufticulum
that allows students to choose eithef an
academic track or a trade track midway
through high school{Co!ld this helplesli
Lapus with institutionalizing Tech-Voc
education in secondary schools?).And ye'
there is that provision fora rolling budg€t
plan that legislates tive-year budget
horizons for basic education----something
many otthose in the know have been
espousing for years,
And there's simply mudl much morc.
OI cou6e, I canl help but think that this
bill it $e handiwo* o{ tormer DepEd
seoetary Butch Abad, a stalwan of the
liberalParty (and *erefore, a close ally
and adviserof LP President MarRoxas).
I find nothing wrong with this.ln fact, I
believethat it is a c ear demonstration
of a politician's leadership abilities ifhe
can be surrcunded by people who can
offergood insights and be relied upon to
peform such a delicate task as (eating
an omnibus education reform act forthe
entire nalion-and do it well.
And it is tfuly well-crafted l€gislation.
0ne basic issue against transforming
our 10'year basic education package
into a | 2-year cycle is that it wil! not be
acceptable to th€ public. A5 wai the case
wilh lhe infamoos Bridge Program (which
required an additional year ot school
priorto high school for underperforming
1EP\EMBER.\)\OEER 2008 17
J
-grulilHtlcJl,
students), parcnts were less than willing
to suffer anolher year of sdooling for
theirchildren land you can betyour life
thatthe children themselves were even
less exuberant about that proposall). This
brought down DepEd to its knees, with
then Secretary Edilberto De Jesus agree-
ing to make Bridge optional (of couBe,
while DJ was right io propose another
year of schooling prior to high schooi,
governmentjust didnl have the political
willto implement such a plan).This new
with an ingenious
Roxas billcomes up
solution-implement this particular provi-
sion of a 12'year basic ed cycle six yea6
afte. the law has been signed (thereby af-
fecting onlythose kids who are not even
in schoolbythe time this tou(hy issue is
mandated by law).
Furthermorq the billeven provides mat-
ching grants for loaalschoolboards and
rewards for volunteerism. And it louks
at the very difficult issle of perfornance
standards, requiring diagnostic te5t5 for
Grades 3 and6 to determine who will
proeed to d|e next school level witholt
special leam'ng assistance (and one
can only gue5t why the bill spedficlly
.equires these tests to be independently
administercd by a third-party non-govern-
mentalinstitution).
It is, to saythe least, an excelient billfor
the serious education reformer. lt covers
a lot ofground and it addresses the right
issues withtie right responses, and just
as important it provides a comprehensive
strategi( solution instead ofthe usual
shortsighted tactical response5.
THE VILI.AR BILL
The senate Pfesiient's bill, on the other
hand, isn't as impressive.And il it k com-
pared side-by-side u,/ith the Roxas bill, it it
to my mind, downriqht mediocre.
ra I EDucAIo! L4AGAZ\NE
Ithank rhe li6t thing
the Villar bill is it5
that!
nane-,Vo
amiss wirh
Filip,ino
Chtld lefr Sehlnd Io the uninformed, it
may appear to be the perfect name for a
landmark law in edu(atjon.The problem
i5 that it isjust thal-GeorgeW Bush's
controversiall/o Chlld left Eehlrd ldon't
know if it! j!n me, bur lfeelthere's
something utterly wong here. l'm sure
the Senate Prcsidentand his staff have
the best ofintentlons, but did they haveto
plagiarize the name ofthe billfrom some
othersovereign state (and while they can
argue that they never heard of Bush's
Licl8, this wilonly mean that they are
50 out of touch with internationa I trends
in education)? ls this tacit admission that
we are in plain truth stillthe liftle brown
brothels ofourAmerican allies? And isn't
this a form ot intelledualpiracy? Couldn't
lhey havejust come upwith another
name (Were lheytoo nalve tothink itwas
okay to simply imilate thisAmei(an brand
and pass it off as their own? Or did they
think that the public willbe too naive to
think so)?
Th€n, of coorsq therc is the more im-
portant matter of actual content. At first
glance, it may appearto be in the right
place--it k an attempt to legislate the re-
duction of non-pafticipation and dropouts
in the basic education levels.owing to
our country's masgive out-of-school youth
population, any effort to improve the sit!.
ation is defin itely someth ing we should
apprau0.
The bill mandategcompulsoryattendance
o{children for both elem€ntary and high
school.0n top of that, it mandates the
prohibition of employment of children
ol compukory school age, with cor-
responding penalties in terms offinet
imp sonment, and in the case of public
otf icials violating this provision, additional
administrative disciplinary action.
lhe billeven made attempts at innovation.
Perhaps to respond to the n€ed for more
teacher i{more dildren go to s.hool
because of this proposed law, it allows
citizens to volunteerto teach, even if they
have not obtained units in education but
have relevant knowledge and adequate
background and experience.At the same
time, college students enrolled in ROTC
classes can opt to serye as volunteertea-
chers and earn cou6e credits (Needlessto
say, Im sure our{riends attheAlliance of
concerned Teachers will have something
to say about allthis).
lhe billprovides forthe establishment of
science laboratories in allhigh schools.lt
also requires at least one central elemen-
tary schoolor national high school in eve-
ry prov,nceto operate as a night school.
And it makes mention ofmobile librariet
the Internet, television, com ics and a host
of other non-traditional interventions.
But while we must praise the good sena-
lor lor his <oncem for our oul-ot school
youth, we m0st also admonish him for
the qualiry of his proposed legislation.
sure, everyone's in agre€ment that all
kids sholld be in school.one wondert
however, how this can be at all legislated,
considering the harsh realities many of
those who are out-of-school face each
day
TheVillar bili provides forwhat it terms
as a "system of penalty" to ensure
cornpliance by parents and guardians.
It howeverfalh shortofdefining surh a
system, opting to require DepEd to come
Up with such a system (in consultation
with the Department ofthe Interior and
LocalGovernment).
But anyone who has had any experience
in the public schoolsystem willtellyou,
that this is not as easy as it sounds,And
 everyone in DepEd will probably tellyou,
this cannot be done (otherwise, they'd
have done it a ready?). Thercfore, ifthis
billbecomes law the impossible task of
defining this system is !nfairly shoved
up DepEd's way and what you have is
legislation that failt.
Simila y,Villa/s prohibition on employ-
ment of childfen of compulsory sdool
age sounds good on paper but is bound '
to come to naught in ib implementation.
We must all realizethat poverty in this
country has reached horrilic heightr that
no amount of legklation can solve the
problem of chlld labor.At least, notas
proposed bythisVillar bill.lftrlth be told,
even free basic education k now a uxury
for many poor Filiplnos.And billionaire
Villar must realizethatthe realities on
the gro!nd insist on child labor---+ven
if !t/e define it as contemptible, immoral
and illegal. WhileVillar! billwilltorce our
children and their parents to prioritize
eduGtion over employment, the reality
is that the marginalized majoritywillbe
compefled to ask-ryi//poor childten he
requircd to go to school be{ore or after
they go to wotk?
However, SB 2366 is notwithout merit.lt
does open up the dircussion on dropouts.
It does revive the discussion on child
labor.And it does keep us talking about
pubiic education. Ivofeovel itproposes
what may very wellbecome one ofthe
most sensitive i55Lre9 in basic education-
mandatory spending of 30% ofpork banel
funds for education.
I don't lnow ifVlllar is really serious
about this bill-Doe5 he erpect if ro
pa55?-but this lastprovision isa surefire
way for the billto go nowhere- Peftaps,
as Senate president, he can prove us
wfong by having our esteemed legislators
agree to a proposal that will put more
rcstrictions on how they can spend theh
fespective congfessionai allotments (while
het at it. he should have ako included
a provtion that requhes more rational
spending ol lhe Special Educalon Fund.
Well, perhaps il and when he becomes
president.
Finally, there'5 lhis provision that talk3
about corporate social responsibility,
whereby tax incentives shallbe given to
donors of what the bill calls the adopt
Plblic School' Program. /am cdnfured
hVillar proposing to give incentives
that are akeady being given through the
cwtent Adopt-A-School Program \RA
8525)? 0r is he proposing a new'Adopt
a Publi. S.hool' Ptogtan? Really, rcally
APPROPRIATIOI,IS
Eoth bills arc asking for mofe appropria-
tions for basic education. Roxas is asking
for P19 billion for $e initial implem€n-
tation ofSB 2294, plus anyadditional
amount determined to be necessary fof
the implementation of its 10'year educa-
tion investment plan.Villar is asking for
P10 billion annuaily for l0 years.
Obviously, rnore funding forbasic educa-
tion is a qood thing, Howevef getting
these amounts approved by Congress is
the real issue here. Perhaps w€ can expect
great things ileither one of these t^/o
proponents becomes pretident.
AI'I EDUCATIOiI PRESIDEiII
At tfie end of $e day. one wondeE il
lhese 1wo bil15 are mere politicalploys to
qet positive press for 2010.
Roxat with his laudable 58 2294, may
be asking too much.An omnibus educa-
tion relorm bill is precisely what thig
nation needs to really get us on the right
track. Butwill it pass? 0f is he asking too
much? Notwithstanding the value of his
numerous proposak, each of them will
surely lead to more debates wellbeyond
the 2010 elections
villar as president ol the Senarc, may
actually get his 58 2366 passed despire its
obvious deficiencies. At the very least he
will ertainly get media coverage for what
a (an be interpreted as his sincere@ncem
for out'of'school youth.
In the end, howevel Roxas stilwin5 this
round. His proposed bill shows he k a
man who understands the issues, ll shows
he-or his brain trust-has a deaf-cut
plan.And should he become pregident,
we can expectgreat things to happen in
bagic education. Villar, on the other hand,
appeaB amateurish with hi5 proposed bill
and he doe' not come out as someone
who has a dear worldview of basi( educa,
tion (At lhe very least he seems to be
oblivious to the educator's point{f-view).
lhissaid, it does not mean that he can't
become an education president.lt simply
means that he needs to lean rnore about
basic ed iHavefaith-he's a very rmaft
person any\,vay).
0f course, we must remember that
electing a Philippine president in 2010 can
never be entirely abolt education. our
country simply has too many problems
to contend with that our leaders must be
wellve6ed in allof these vitalconcehs
,ust the same I dare say it'5 now
Roxas-l, Villar-nil-
Which now brings us to the quertion-
What do Noli, Lorcn, Dick, Ping and BF
have in store for us in basic education?
Ah, ye, the plat thickens. A
SEPIEMEER OCTOEEB 2OO8 19