MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / June 6, 2014) – A recent survey among high school students in the Philippines by the Salinlahi Alliance for Children’s Concerns showed that overcrowded rooms and insufficient textbooks and unsanitary comfort rooms are the most common complaints.
Almost a week after around 21 million elementary and high school students trooped back to their respective schools, students of Batasan Hills National High School in Quezon City were asked to either “Like” or “Unlike” the performance of the Department of Education in terms of providing necessary educational inputs conducive for their learning.
They also aired out their grievances, addressed to President Benigno Aquino, and urged him to resolve their current situation.
“Back in February of this year, Aquino bragged that his administration has already resolved the 66,000 classroom backlog of the previous administration and that there are no more shortages of classrooms for the present school year. However, four days ago, Malacanang retracted this claim as news reports of overcrowded classrooms began to pour in. Aquino is therefore not serious in addressing this perennial problem of our educational system,” Kharlo Manano, Salinlahi Secretary-General, said in a statement sent to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.
“The devastation brought by Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) was even used as an excuse for yet another wave of classroom shortage that they need to supplement”, he said.
In a 2011 report of the Management Association of the Philippines Education Task Force, it was noted that the classrooms shortage for the next five years ranges between 94,000 to 124,000 units, including probable destruction to be caused by disasters. This number would require more than P72 billion to P99 billion a year and this year, the Department of Education only released P7.35 billion for the construction of classrooms in public elementary and secondary schools nationwide.
Amid the glaring failure of the Aquino government to provide for children’s right to education, Salinlahi expressed also alarm over the continuing attacks on schools in different provinces, which were set up through the efforts of people’s organizations.
The group said it documented reports from far-flung communities in Mindanao , of schools set-up by the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines and Salugpungan Ta’tanu Igkanugon, an organization of Manobos in Davao del Sur, being used as military posts and similar cases have also been documented in Surigao del Sur, Compostela Valley, South Cotabato and Davao City.
“The systemic abandonment of the government on children’s basic right, especially to education is clearly shown in the children’s verdict on how the government handled the opening of classes and the continuing attacks on schools. We will gather and consolidate more data in the coming weeks and we enjoin child rights advocates, adults and children to collectively hold the Aquino government accountable for neglecting children’s right to a better future,” Manano said.
There was no immediate reaction from either the Department of Education or the military about Salinlahi’s survey and its allegations.
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