Commentary: Quality education, a tool in the fight vs poverty
Tacloban City (October 26) -- President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's directive for CHED to provide scholarships to two poor Boholano topnotchers in the high school division in the 2006 National Achievement Test, underscores her strong conviction on the importance of quality education in uplifting the lives of the poor.
It is heartwarming to note that the President took notice of the plight of the two topnotchers who were unable to go to college because of poverty. More touching is the fact that she did something to solve the problem of the students. Few leaders has this personal touch, attention to details, than President Arroyo. Others will find the situation too small or too little a problem to be attended to by a President but for the President, nothing is too big or too small when it comes to the welfare of the Filipino people.
President Arroyo has always emphasized that education is very important in her goal to eradicate poverty and improve the economy of the country. In a roundtable discussion with Education Secretary Jesli Lapuz and the principal teachers of the topnotcher-schools in the 2006 NAT, the President stressed that the lives of millions of Filipinos would improve through education.
The good result of the National Achievement Test which assesses the overall scholastic performances of public schools and public school students nationwide, will hopefully serve as an aid to the government policymakers in the continuing upgrading of the country's educational system.
Quality education could only be attained with the full support of the local government units, the community, the business sector and all the stakeholders in education.
It is worth mentioning that the Calbayog City National High School in the province of Samar, capped the High School level in the 2006 National Achievement Test even if it is funded only by the city government of Calbayog. It is good to note that these students are the first batch of graduates of this school which Congress has already approved to become a national high school but unfortunately, the bill has been sleeping in the Senate. These are students who cannot afford private education. It is not telling what will happen to them sans the good vision of Mayor Mel Sarmiento and the city officials.
Perhaps as a prize for the good performance and proof of quality education that the school has proven, the least that Senate could do to encourage sustainability of the quality education the school has started, is to pass the pending bill and make it into a national high school. (PIA 8) [top]
