BUT first, what is this E-GASTPE discussed by educators in public and private institutions as well as national lawmakers and even opinion makers?
E-GASTPE is the acronym for Expanded Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education, pushed under a law – Republic Act 8545 which amended RA 6728 – which stipulates it is the declared policy of the State, in conformity with the mandate of the Constitution, to promote and make quality education available to all.
The program acknowledges the complementary roles of both public and private institutions in the country’s education system and strengthening the collaboration between.
There is the persuasive argument that such collaboration will not only help in curbing the learnng crisis but also enhance the quality of education.
Several bills have been filed in the Lower House which seeks to broaden the voucher system, encompassing 13 years of basic education, and offering support to students, teachers, and formal private basic education institutions.
Advocacy groups like the Philippine Business for Education have admitted the shortage of classrooms even before Commission on Higher Education closed its doors to Senior High School Students which makes the expansion of the voucher system timely.
Here the E-GASTPE will not just address the need for additional classrooms, but it will also focus on providing quality training for senior high students, according to Justine Raagas, executive director of the Philippine Business for Education.
CHED recently issued a memorandum it will discontinue the SHS program in State Universities and Colleges as well as Local Universities and College starting school year 2024-2025 since its engagement is limited only to the K-12 transition period from SY 2016-2017 to SY 2020-2021.
“By extending the voucher program, there is a potential to optimize the resources of private schools and we can alleviate congestion in public schools,” Raagas said.
The voucher program is a government subsidy offered to junior high school or JHS completers to allow them to pursue senior high school or SHS (Grades 11 and 12). One voucher is good to cover the costs of one entire school year.
We are also bucked up that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has approved the creation of a new Cabinet cluster focused on education, which includes the Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Department of Labor and Employment, and the Department of Budget and Management.
The cluster, tasked with developing a 10-year national plan to address the country’s learning gaps, aims to implement coordinated interventions to improve access, quality, and relevance of education in the Philippines.
We know the cluster will also have its eyes on discussing the E-GASTPE program to cover the K-6 levels.
The Philippine public school system has long struggled with overcrowded classrooms, insufficient resources, and inconsistent educational quality.
Expanding the E-GASTPE program, which currently supports junior and senior high school students, to include Kindergarten through Grade 6 is seen as a feasible and immediate solution to these issues.
