As I was about to start writing again about education, there are two education-related topics at ABS-CBN News.

Boo Chanco wants CHED to be re-integrated with DepEd. For all the details that he had stated, they do not support his conclusion. It all boils down to leadership, not on structure. You want substandard schools shut down? It can be done even without CHED-DepEd integration. The problem is that CHED is basically hostaged by the political leadership. Add lack of political will to mix, and you have an impotent CHED.

The short term solution is to remove the chair of CHED, Carlito Puno. After all, all the problems stated by Chanco are problems of investigation and/or execution. If he can’t do the job, replace him.

Medium term solution is to strengthen the commission by making it independent and immune from political intervention.

Long term solution is to have a single, coherent (redundant, I know), rational policy on education that addresses not only the “now” but also the “tomorrow”. If it means re-integrating CHED with DepEd, or making DepEd secretary concurrent CHED Chair, or having an education czar/commission, so be it.

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Then, Jarius Bondoc shares two stories coming from two teachers, giving testimonies to the fact that corruption exists in schools. I just want to add that those things happen in private schools, too. Commissions and the like are seemingly irresistable additions to a teacher’s paycheck.

It really is hard to maintain integrity when you are a teacher. As a former teacher in a tech/voc school with a salary that cannot even feed and house myself, the temptation of the fast buck at the expense of the students were aplenty. But I retained my sense of honor. Yet, as they say, honor will not feed your family. Again, we are back to the root of corruption – hard times. I don’t know why this government can’t seem to understand that. Telling the people to spend less on luxury is a futile effort – those who are hungry gets hungry because they cannot afford to eat, much less spend on luxury. Arroyo’s comment is at best a cruel cheap shot at the people that she believes elected her.

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Based on the recent National Career Assessment Examinations, 700K graduating high school students are unfit to enter college. I have itemized the relevant results based on the news report:

* Most of the students scored high on the technical-vocation and entrepreneurial categories.
* Only a small percentage of the examinees are qualified to fill executive and managerial positions.
* 22,267 students who belong to families with annual incomes below P150,000, the current poverty threshold, are among the highest performers in the GSA, with Very High to Excellent scores (98-99+ percentile ranks)
* 33,444 poor students also received very high scores in the technical-vocational category.

We Pinoys are enamored on the college diploma as the saving grace of the family. In a point, this is true. After all, the high-paying jobs require at least a college diploma (though some low-paying jobs require college diploma, too). If the NCAE compels students on what track to take, many families will be heartbroken. Browse/peruse job ads online and on the newspapers, and find a job that (1) pays at least Php10,000 and (2) requires at least two years in college or a tech/voc diploma.

That would lead you to call center jobs. Again, a problem – those jobs require a good proficiency in English. And I doubt if in measuring scores in the tech/voc categories of the NCAE they included English. That is another problem.

Also, even if a student is qualified for college, he and his family might not afford it. If a family earns Php150,000 a year, rule out the best private schools (unless he can get a scholarship, and those things are limited, if not rare). Rule out student loans. Personally, letting a student finish college deep in debt is dishonorable. UP charges how much per unit? Do they still count the number of appliances to determine if a student is poor? TUP is fast catching up with UP’s tuition. PUP remains the cheapest, but it can only accommodate that much number of students.

Based on the data:

* Strengthen the tech/voc education (which is another subject worthy of a separate blog post)
* Make English a major subject
* Make sure tech/voc graduates can find employment (job generation)
* Make tech/voc education affordable
* If feasible, establish college preparatory schools
* Adopt a ladderized tertiary education with full subject credits
* Enforce strict standards for tech/voc schools

These are mish-mash of short-to-long term ideas. Please feel free to add yours.

An interesting case.

Questions:

1. Do students surrender their rights when they are at school?
2. On what grounds can the school exercise censorship? Should censorship be allowed?

I don’t know where in the space-time continuum is Bill Esposo. Maybe he was affected by the early DST imposed in the US.

His column today advises the opposition to change its campaign strategy. Fast. His thesis is that using Estrada as an emblem/flag/standard of the opposition is wrong, divisive, and drive the opposition to defeat.

Isn’t the replacement of the campaign manager a signal of a shift in strategy? Or is Esposo still thinking that JV Ejercito is still the manager (well, he is, but will be replaced by Serge Osmeña soon)?

Hasn’t he heard Serge said in an interview that the campaign will concentrate on boosting Sonia Roco and Nikki Coseteng’s rankings? That the campaign will concentrate on places where the opposition is weak?

His defense of Francis Pangilinan is noteworthy for being a non-issue. He rued the opposition’s seemingly ganging up on Pangilinan. If it is a non-issue, how come Esposo is still hitting the opposition because of that?

Anyway, his other points are logical and the opposition should pursue those talking points.

Speaking of Serge Osmeña, Babes Romualdez is happy that the debate being organized by pro-status quo businessmen will push through tomorrow, and called Osmeña Dr. No. He he.

And like every other ivory tower columnists, he looks down on a Plaza Miranda-type debate with these words:

Those who still insist on holding the debate at a public place like Plaza Miranda will just have to wait until somebody comes up with the bright idea to produce something like a Philippine Political Idol contest, where the candidates can sing and dance on stage so people can choose their Top 12 by texting or phoning in their choices. We can even throw in Boy Abunda as host to add the personality that would make the show complete.

His opinion is most probably shared by businessmen all over the country.

And his final words on the topic is plain wrong:

The opposition can continue with plans for another impeachment attempt if they so decide, but I really wish they would also realize that the country will not be able to move forward if we continue to keep dragging all the heavy baggage of the past. The time to move on has come, and hopefully the coming elections will be an opportunity for everyone to forge an even better future for this country – and this “great debate” is a step towards that direction.

Those who don’t learn their history are bound to repeat it, so goes a cliche. Move on, huh? Mr. Romualdez, tell that to those people whose relatives “just” died. Tell that to those who trusted your president for six years and yet to experience what you and your ilk have been experiencing. Tell that to Gloria’s street sweepers, who are being paid way below the minimum wage – the minimum wage that you and your ilk wants to remain that way, minimum.

The concept of justice is really alien to a lot of people in this country, I’m afraid.

Speaking of learning from history, here’s a scary news story: Champagne corks pop in Manila in echo of Marcos era. The ending part is what scares me:

“There is this mindset, which I think is so passe, that says: “The country is in shambles and the country is having a hard time and you are out there partying”.

But this generation is guiltless when it comes to that.”

This generation will have to learn history the hard way.