By Grace Mirasol
MORE than 600 stakeholders from the government, private sector and civil society gathered last month at the SMX Convention Center for the 2016 Education Summit to tackle the urgent concerns of the education sector in the country.
The summit aimed to take a stock of where the country is in terms of education; define the medium- and long-term education vision and agenda for the trifocal education system in the country; identify and address the urgent concerns of the education sector; relate education with the agenda of other allied government agencies, as well as regional and international partners; and listen and respond to the issues, feedback, aspirations and proposals of relevant stakeholders.
The Department of Education (DepEd), the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) agreed to organize the two-day event as a result of the Social Initiatives Development Summit held in Davao City in August.
During the summit, the heads of the three education agencies shared their respective agenda for the education sector, taking into consideration the mandates of the constitution, laws and international commitments, and the directions they have set for their respective agencies.
The National Economic and Development Authority’s (Neda) 25-year development planning guide adopted by the Duterte administration stated 79.2 percent of Filipinos commonly share the aspiration to have “a comfortable life, free of hardship and worry.”
To fulfill this, average Filipino families strive to send their children to school, and ultimately see them finish college and land gainful employment.
Education Secretary Leonor B. Briones sees otherwise. With the nationwide implementation of the senior high school (SHS) this school year, the DepEd is looking forward to a change in the mind-set of most parents and students when it comes to getting a college degree and gaining success. She believes “in this world of ours now, you can be a successful artist, designer, without having to finish college.” Formal education is no longer today’s measure of success, moreover, of the capacity to provide and sustain a simple and comfortable life.
But still, some parents think otherwise. According to the DepEd, 60 percent of parents still want their children to finish college.
The CHED believes Philippine higher education should also be positioned as one of the major drivers of economic competitiveness. Working with professional institutes, colleges or research universities, both public and private, CHED views its role as setting the agenda, strategies and facilities to: (a) strengthen the so-called triple helix of government, academe and industry as growth accelerators; (b) create an army of job creators; (c) respond to the needs of the labor market; (4) spur entrepreneurship and university-based start-ups; (e) generate relevant scientific-technological solutions and commercial-ready innovations; and (f) build the capital and institutional infrastructure needed for income and wealth generation, such as laboratories, libraries, business incubators, intellectual-property offices, research boards and office for global partnerships. Across these interlocking economic mechanisms, the end in mind is inclusiveness, that is, to guarantee that these will yield spaces for growth and mobility for all.
In consideration of these pursuits, CHED shall advocate for purposive investments that steer career interest toward science, technology, engineering, agri-fisheries and mathematics, which are the building blocks of the knowledge economy; foster a healthy and vibrant relationship with industry, as well as small- and medium-scale businesses; accelerate local and global inter-university research collaborations; establish institutional scientific-technological niches and economic centers; and create an innovation ecosystem among many others.
In terms of trade in education, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) commissioned a study to complete the coverage of an educational road map for the country covering both higher and technical/vocational education training (TVET) by providing an initial mapping of the ways in which a stronger trade focus could support existing education initiatives. It coincides with the publication by the CHED of a draft memorandum order on the internationalization of higher education. Trade in educational services could result in greater economies of scale, access to new resources, increased knowledge transfer and, if exports exceeds imports, net earnings of foreign exchange.