Marcos eyes educational reform through technology; promises systemized benefits for teachers
By: Agatha Rei Gomez
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. emphasized technological advancements as a means of improving the quality of education in the Philippines in his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) held last July 22 at the Batasang Pambansa Complex.
Marcos said that “addressing the digital gap must also be bridged with equal intensity,” along with the. standardization of “reliable power and internet, and solar-powered electricity in schools and classrooms.”
He also mentioned that the administration promises special infrastructure and support for ethical artificial intelligence (AI) systems for practical applications.
“Our system of education must be strategically calibrated to make sure that our youth are not only taught to become literate, [but to] also consciously [develop] them into problem solvers and into critical thinkers, hungry for success [and] ready for the future,” Marcos said after mentioning the National Learning Recovery Program (NLRP).
The NLRP is a program adopted by the Department of Education (DepEd) to resolve and address learning losses and gaps that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic.
He also challenged the newly appointed DepEd Secretary to build quality education.
Additionally, the President promised a systemized distribution of work to teachers, redirecting other admin tasks to additional staff and employees.
He also promised an annual teaching allowance for educators beginning next year as well as adding new benefits such as personal accident insurance and a special hardship allowance.
“…As we build and upgrade schools, [we must] also uplift and upskill our teachers whose competence and trademark Filipino patience, determination, and compassion will be at the core of our National Learning Recovery,” he said.
Marcos assured no more “utang-tagging” to teachers in taking opportunities for their professional development. He also emphasized the implementation of a professional career system, giving educators freedom to choose between teaching and school administration tracks.
He highlighted the top rankings of 87 Philippine Higher Education Institutions in worldwide assessments, emphasizing the 51 public institutions included in the list.
“Statistics do not lie,” Marcos said, following the claim that statistics in education are consistently upward.
There was no mention of the recent Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) performance of the Philippines, where the country ranked 77th out of 81 countries with a score of 353 — below the global average.
