SONA 2024: Marcos’ road to improving Philippines’ education system

EDUCATION is crucial for national development, shaping the future of millions of young Filipinos. President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s 2024 State of the Nation Address (SONA) emphasized the need to make education inclusive, modern, and supportive of both students and teachers. His address highlighted several initiatives designed to bridge gaps, foster innovation, and uplift the quality of teaching.

Access to quality education

Everyone is entitled to education, but is a quality education accessible to every Filipino?  

In some parts of the country especially in the rural regions, the lack of resources and infrastructure is one of the widespread challenges affecting many schools in the Philippines. 

According to the Department of Education (DepEd) in 2023, about 5,000 schools have no access to electricity, while 10,000 have no access to water. This lack of necessities puts both students and teachers at a drawback of low-quality education.  

In her 2023 Basic Education Report, former DepEd secretary Vice President Sara Duterte noted how 327,851 school buildings in the country–100,072 need minor repairs. 

Meanwhile, 89,252 infrastructures require major repairs while 21,727 are set for condemnation. 

Only 3,637 out of the planned 6,300 classrooms have been built with only 4,542 repaired. 

Aside from the lack of water and electricity, the lack of infrastructure, textbooks, and other teaching materials also affects the ability of students to learn effectively. 

Adding to this was also the lack of teachers and a digital gap in education. 

In a 2022 PISA report, it was found that 43 percent of Filipino students were in schools that lacked teaching staff.

ACT also reported that there’s a shortage of 144,789 teachers and 94,540 for the academic year 2023-2024. In the same academic year, only 3,352 out of the planned 9,650 were hired. 

For his 2024 State of the Nation Address (SONA) President Ferdinand ‘BongBong’ Marcos Jr. addresses and implements solutions that can further improve the educational system in the country. 

Prioritizing Inclusive Education

One of the most significant highlights of Marcos’ speech was his commitment to increasing the budget for inclusive education. This initiative aims to break down barriers that prevent marginalized and disadvantaged students from accessing quality education. By prioritizing inclusivity, the government is taking steps to ensure that every Filipino child, regardless of their socio-economic background, has the opportunity to learn and succeed.

Strategic Calibration of the Education System

Marcos emphasized the necessity of a “strategically recalibrated” education system. He envisions an education system that goes beyond basic literacy, focusing on developing problem-solving skills and critical thinking. “Our system of education must be strategically recalibrated to make sure that our youth are not only taught to become literate but have also consciously developed into problem solvers and critical thinkers hungry for success, ready for the future,” he stated. This strategic shift aims to equip students with the tools they need to navigate and excel in an increasingly complex world.

Bridging the Digital and Classroom Gaps

Addressing the digital divide is another cornerstone of Marcos’ educational reforms. The President stressed that the digital gap among learners must be tackled with the same urgency as the classroom gap. To this end, he proposed that digitalization, solar power, and electricity become standard features in schools and classrooms nationwide. This move is designed to create a more equitable learning environment where all students have access to modern educational tools and resources.

Updating Learning Materials

Marcos highlighted the need for up-to-date learning materials, ensuring that the curriculum remains relevant and reflective of current realities. He announced an expedited production process for learning material manuscripts, reducing the timeline from three years to just one. This significant reduction aims to keep educational content fresh and aligned with the latest developments in various fields.

Ensuring Quality Education

Despite the government’s efforts, Marcos acknowledged that ensuring quality education remains a challenge. To address this, he appointed Senator Sonny Angara as the new Secretary of Education, following Vice President Sara Duterte’s resignation. Angara’s role is pivotal in steering the recovery and improvement of the education system, with a focus on both immediate and long-term enhancements.

Empowering Teachers

At the core of Marcos’ educational reforms is the upliftment and upskilling of Filipino teachers. He emphasized, “The quality of our education rests on the quality of our teachers.” The administration plans to provide a teaching allowance and personal accident insurance from the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) to public school teachers starting next year. This initiative recognizes the vital role teachers play and seeks to support them in their professional journey.

Expanded Career System for Teachers

Marcos also announced an expanded career system for educators, ensuring that no public school teacher will retire at the entry-level position of Teacher 1. “Sa sistemang ito, wala nang public school teacher ang magreretire na Teacher 1 lamang.” This system aims to promote career growth and professional development, motivating teachers to continually improve and advance in their careers.

Achievements in Higher Education

In a nod to the achievements of higher education institutions, Marcos proudly shared that 87 Filipino universities made it to world university rankings last year, with 51 of these being public universities. This recognition underscores the potential and caliber of Philippine higher education on the global stage.

People’s take on the Kto12 curriculum’s effectivity 

The K to-12 program was implemented to uplift the country’s education quality.

The 12-year program aims to give Filipino students the time to master skills and equip them with expertise and knowledge that would prepare them for higher education, employment, and entrepreneurship.

When the implementation of the K to 12 program was first announced to the public, it garnered mixed reactions—dividing citizens into looking more on the good and bad sides of the K to 12 program.  

For some, the K to 12 program might come of as an easy way for students to find a job even if they didn’t have a college degree but for elder woman Marina Yarte, she concluded that the education system from the previous time is a lot better, quoting on how it was ‘faster.’ 

“When we were younger, we didn’t have the Kto12 curriculum in our education but we were still able to get a job.” The 80-year-old said. “I don’t think it’s necessary as we’re only wasting money on it.” 

Meanwhile, mother of 2 Leilani Macaranas said that the effectivity of the K to 12 curriculum depends on the kid and on how the program is implemented. 

“I think it depends on the the kid on how they’ll make it work on their studies and it really depends on how the school applies the program on their curriculum.” She said. 

Meanwhile Senior High School graduate Lara Abiera stated that the program is ineffective.

“Ineffective. The knowledge equipped with people who have this educational attainment are being disregarded, or discredited, due to Filipino Employers still seeking higher educational attainment. It is  contradictory to what has been promised when this was launched, which is to help the Filipino people to land a job easier.” She said. 

Experiences and Challenges of SHS Graduates in the Job Market

Many SHS graduates have faced the challenge of applying for jobs with their diploma as their highest educational attainment.

Lara Abiera, a K-12 graduate who worked during the height of the pandemic, found her application approval relatively easier due to the high demand for manpower at that time.

“I started working in the heat of the (COVID-19) pandemic where there’s a lot of need for manpower. On a retrospective view, I’d say it was easier compared to what the fresh grads are experiencing these days, but I’d still say it is hard at that time given that I was 19; no full-time job experience, no college degree, and no idea how corporate jobs work,” she said in an interview.

Miguel, also a graduate from the program,  described his experience from applying for a management position, a “reality slap.”

“It was a bit of a reality slap and a sad moment in my life because I literally passed everything except the fact that I do not have a degree in college,” he explained. 

For him, his application was super challenging due to the feeling of being “limited.” He stated, “Imagine being limited to a certain path when you know you can do more?” 

The job would have offered a salary that he described as “way more than reasonable”. But Miguel’s lack of a college degree ruled him out from being selected despite his set of skills being a perfect fit. 

According to him, SHS graduates are largely limited to blue-collar or entry-level BPO jobs.

Backing Rizza Mae Dela Cruz’s acknowledgment that limited job offers for K-12 completers are generally for lower positions with low salaries compared to the higher roles typically offered to college degree holders. 

Rizza is also a graduate of the program. In her case, she had a smooth job application process because the position was specifically intended for SHS graduates. 

The K-12 program was launched to prepare students for better employment opportunities. However, based on the experiences mentioned above, there is a consensus that employers continue to prefer applicants with college degrees or significant work experience over those who have only completed senior high school.

Call to The President

President Bongbong Marcos’ nation address during his 3rd SONA did not include a specific response to K-12 program graduates’ challenges in the job market.

When asked what message she would like to convey to the president, Lara first expressed her gratitude to the president for trying to keep the country’s education curriculum at par with first-world countries. However, she continued, “but I think being at par with the educational level is not enough to feed their families, especially (since) the Filipino companies themselves have high standards when it comes to employment.”

Rizza similarly feels that salaries, specifically received by SHS graduates, cannot properly feed families. She stated her request, “dagdagan ang sahod” to the president.

Meanwhile, Miguel’s advice to the president is to create more local jobs for Filipino workers.

“More jobs that will not just help the new wave of Filipino workers but also amplify the workforce that is already losing its motivation to work locally. We literally have unfair jobs in the country and that will not suffice in the near future,” he shared. 

In conclusion, regardless of the attempt to improve the Philippine education system, the challenges remain. K-12 program graduates may enter the workforce, but they face limited opportunities for positions with adequate salaries. It is important that legislators initiate additional collaborations with companies to ensure that developing the education curriculum and its landscape really helps expand job opportunities for everyone.

With reports from Kyla Marie Cuba and Naomi Viehl D. Politico