President Marcos on Friday has called for sweeping reforms in Philippine education, highlighting key priorities and proposed solutions.
Following Senator Juan Edgardo Angara’s appointment as Education Secretary, Mr. Marcos emphasized the need to enhance graduates’ employability under the K-12 system, which has fallen short of expectations.
“If you remember, we implemented K-12 because employers were looking for more years of training from our job applicants and here in the Philippines, it was lacking because it was only 10 years, so we needed 12 years,” President Marcos said.
Proposed measures include short-term courses aligned with industry needs and closer coordination with the private sector for job placements.
Addressing academic performance, particularly in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) subjects, the President stressed the importance of equipping students with technical skills to meet evolving job market demands.
“The other thing we’re focusing on is the scores in the international standardized tests, particularly in STEM subjects, where we’re lagging behind and that’s the area that’s in high demand at the moment,” President Marcos said.
President Marcos assured support in ensuring teacher welfare and professional development remains pivotal. “I reminded Senator Angara that the key to any successful program in the DepEd are the teachers,” he said.
“They (teachers) have families to take care of. They can’t teach properly if they’re worried about their family’s situation. So, we need to make sure they’re in a good place, so they can focus on teaching,” Mr. Marcos added.
In addition to these reforms, the Chief Executive announced plans to simplify the curriculum to ensure students grasp the basics.
“Many students in Grade 5 and Grade 6 struggle with reading and basic mathematics. We need to go back to basics,” he stated.
President Marcos also called for the inclusion of more Philippine history in the curriculum.
“For me, that is so important, for the simple reason that that is what will make a child understand what it means to be a Filipino,” he said.