OUR education system does not fare well in comparison with other countries. I believe that we should endeavor to improve education standards from the very beginning. The Aquino administration passed Republic Act (RA) 10157 which attempted to provide kindergarten students with adequate preparation for grade school. At the time, many teachers were saying that students were ill-equipped to handle Grade 1 classes. This surprises me but I believe that success at an early stage increases the chances of success later on.
What can be done?
Could volunteerism help?
Are there those who would be prepared to help young children learn to read? This requires time and patience. Some, but by no means all parents are able to do this.
***
One area which has seen progress during president Duterte’s term is the expansion of the Alternative Learning System (ALS). I hope this expansion continues. Those who for one reason or another did not complete high school education are given a second chance. It is never too late to achieve educational success.
***
Sen. Imee Marcos asserts that COVID has delayed the passage of Licensure Examinations for Professional Teachers (LEPT) and recommends that examinations should now be held for 2021 and 2022 graduates. Otherwise our potential teachers would have to wait until March 2023, according to Sen Marcos.
***
Incoming president Marcos wants Sara to emphasize Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education. I believe that all education is important. Not all students are naturally proficient at Math. We need graduates in all subjects.
***
At the turn of the 21st century, we had regular national examinations: NEAT at grade 6 and NSAT for those graduating from high school. Recently our education system has not given sufficient attention to verifiable progress amongst our students.
I believe that schools should hold examinations for all students towards the end of each academic year. Then we know how much progress has been made by all students.
National examinations for students completing Grades 6, 10, 12 should be held. Otherwise we lose track as to how much our students have learned.
I am particularly concerned about what appears to be a lack of progress amongst students in some of our Grade 11 and 12 classes. Senior High School needs to be evaluated more rigorously to ensure that progress is significant.
For a long time, the University of the Philippines (UP) was ranked in the top 300 universities in the world. Now, a recent survey by higher education information provider Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) ranks UP in 412th place – a significant deterioration.
We should do better./PN
