PHRobredo: Many Filipinos unable to find work due to 'education crisis'
Presidential aspirant Vice President Leni Robredo emphasized the need to improve the quality of education in the country to provide more opportunities for younger Filipinos who are about to enter the workforce.
During the Pilipinas Debate of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Saturday night, March 19, Robredo said many Filipinos are finding it hard to find work despite job vacancies due to the state of the country’s education system.
“Kailangan po natin, unang-una ayusin yung kalidad ng ating edukasyon para preparado yung ating mga graduates sa trabahong gusto nilang hanapin (First of all, we really need to adjust the quality of our education system to prepare our graduates for the job that they want),” Robredo said.
The Vice President also emphasized the need to declare an “education crisis” in the country to improve our performance in the international assessments and eventually address the persisting problems in this sector.
Robredo likewise E×ρréššed concern that there is a “disconnect” between our curriculum and the industry which is evident in the rising job vacancies in various industries such as the business process outsourcing (BPO), and maritime sectors.
“Sa BPO ang daming trabahong available pero walang qualified. Yung maritime, grabe pa yung opportunity dito pero yung skills kulang (There are plenty of jobs available in the BPO industry but no one is qualified. There are many opportunities in the maritime sector but the skills are lacking),” she explained.
To improve the country’s education quality, Robredo said we should also increase the budget on education to 6 percent of our gross domestic product (GDP) as recommended by UNESCO. She said the government is currently spending only 3 percent of the GDP on education.
She also pushed to raise the salaries of teachers and provide more training for them instead of “drowning” them in administrative work to ensure better education quality.
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Sen. Marcos proposes a 25 percent hike in minimum pay
of public elementary and secondary teachers
Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos, Jr. has vowed to lift public school teachers from the borderline of the poverty threshold.
This developed as Marcos filed a proposed measure to increase by 25 percent the monthly minimum salary of public school teachers.
Senate Bill No. 109 seeks to upgrade the present minimum Salary Grade 11 (SG 11) level to SG 15 level of public elementary and high school teachers.
If the bill is enacted into law, the present P18,594 (SG 11) minimum salary of the teachers will be raised to P24,887 (SG 15).
The salary grade level of those occupying higher positions shall also be adjusted accordingly. "As a result, the economic and social status of public school teachers across the country will be improved," Marcos said.
Under Section 4 of the bill, the pay grade level upgrade will cover all public elementary and secondary levels, whether national or locally funded, including those in technical and vocational schools and state universities and colleges.
Marcos said that while the Department of Education continuously receives the largest share in the national budget of the country, the minimum salary of public school teachers remain lower compared with the salary of other professions.
"Worst, most (teachers) are in the borderline of poverty threshold," said Marcos.
He said the Constitution itself recognizes the enormous contribution of the teaching profession, which requires great sacrifice and unparalleled dedication to reach out and impart one's knowledge and experience to young minds.
"This is a fitting gesture of gratitude to our modern day heroes in public education," he said.