It Takes a Community to Raise a Child

In a report done by Chi last 2023, Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (Pampanga) filed a House bill in April to address the perceived inadequacy of the senior high school program in producing graduates who are prepared for employment. The bill aims to reinstate the four-year duration of high school. The proposed legislation, which aims to make senior high school compulsory exclusively for college students, is perceived as weakening the Aquino administration's prominent K to 12 program, which led to the most extensive restructuring of the education system in recent times. Essentially, Arlyne Marasigan, a professor at Philippine Normal University, claims that not needing to finish senior high provides an option for student to graduate as soon as possible and join the workforce, should they not want to pursue higher education any longer. It now becomes a question of how education affects the workforce quantity and quality produced in the long run.

I believe that education should be viewed as an investment of human capital, as this is what would guide a person’s competency when they enter the workforce. It would also improve the workforce’s skill sets, productivity, and efficiency. The quality of education provided in the country speaks a lot for the workforce that it would later on produce.

But other than the educational system itself, there are also various factors at play that affect how a student would absorb what they learn. Bai (2023) concludes that the education sector in the Philippines has a multitude of intricate and diverse challenges, encompassing issues such as poverty, armed conflict, insufficient funding and facilities and the digital gap. These are the underlying issues that come with wanting to provide quality education to Filipino students.

Hence, I believe that the investment in education starts not only at home, but also in the community that surrounds it. Solving the country’s educational crisis can start with providing equitable access first for all Filipinos–by addressing poverty, insufficient facilities, and the digital gap. Ideally, we find a multifaceted solution that would solve all of these problems. However, realistically speaking, it is far-fetched to implement an education-centric policy at present.

It is why the country’s current education system is truly in a sad state because I do not think it’s part of the government’s top priority. This can be seen in efforts to detract the already in-placed K-12 program. Implementing the K-12 program back then was a massive overhaul of our education system and it forced a majority of the community to adjust to the sudden changes in the system. Unfortunately, what is regretful about this is there is a significant number of students who are unable to keep up with the times, which was further exacerbated by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Given that, I see no point in reverting the curriculum back to the 10-year one from the 12-year one, as we have already adjusted to this. I could see that this effort by the policymakers is also a motive to drive higher workforce turnout among Senior High School completers. Consequently, this can also be viewed as a testament to the significance of quality education to having effective human resources. Moreover, we are still continuously improving the current system, so I believe that in the long run, it would be more feasible and value-adding to retain the current K-12 program and enhance it. As Marasigan mentioned, the Department of Education can instead take the opportunity to add practical skills training to the curriculum so that Senior High School completers can already be competitive in the job market.

Moving back, it is imperative for the government, in collaboration with foreign organizations and the business sector, to persistently emphasize education and provide resources for its long-term development. I strongly believe that it takes a community to raise children, and that is exactly what is needed to ensure quality education for our future generation–which is also our future workforce.

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Sophia Isabel S. Cauilan

Topic: Global Management, Strategy, and HR