Our EDUCATION AGENDA

1. INCREASE STATE SPENDING ON EDUCATION to six (6) percent of the Gross Domestic Product.

a. Allocate at least 20 percent of the national budget to the education sector.

b. Utilize increased government revenues to fill the various gaps in the education sector like the shortages in classrooms, books, computers and other learning tools.

c. Repudiate payment for anomalous debt contracts. Realign a significant portion of debt servicing and Malacanang intelligence funds to education services.

2. Ensure FREE and ACCESSIBLE EDUCATION at all levels. Expand educational services.

a. Implement a moratorium on tuition and other fee increases.
b. Provide free and appropriate education to all youths with disabilities and special needs.
c. Establish more public schools and universities throughout the country.

d. Establish public libraries in all municipalities nationwide.

3. PROMOTE A NATIONALIST CURRICULUM

a. Adopt Filipino and vernacular language as the medium of instruction.
b. Make History and Human Rights Education mandatory.
c. Strengthen community service courses at all levels.

d. Ensure that vocational/technical education match the actual needs of the local economy. Reform medical and nursing education to meet community health needs.

4. UPHOLD DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS OF STUDENTS

a. Establish student councils and campus publications in all schools nationwide.
b. Expand student participation in decision-making processes. Ensure student representation in policy-making bodies and institutions.

c. Immediately end vilification and psy-war operations conducted by the military and police in schools and universities against progressive student and teacher organizations. Pull-out soldiers and police forces deployed or operating inside schools.

d. Respect academic freedom and the right to organize in schools. Probe the implementation of school rules and guidelines that violate basic rights provided by law.

5. IMPROVE TEACHERS’ WELFARE.

a. Raise the salaries of public school teachers and other government employees by P3,000.

b. Enact the Magna Carta of Private School Teachers.

c. Prioritize training and re-training of teachers.

d. Enhance opportunities for graduate education or research activities by teachers.

6. IMPROVE science, research and technology development.

a. Pursue improvements in Science education along the lines of national industrialization and advancement of the agricultural sector.

b. Invest sufficiently in research and development. National spending on research and development should be equivalent to 1 percent of the GDP.

c. Grant generous incentives to scientists and use science and technology research to solve hunger and poverty in the country.

d. Direct research and development towards the protection of natural resources against exploitation by big companies.

7. Promote TRANSPARENCY IN EDUCATION programs.

a. Consult stakeholders before approving major education programs.

b. Implement a public review of ongoing projects like the Call Center Training Academy of the Commission on Higher Education and dubious education projects.

8. REVIEW EXISTING POLICIES AND INSTITUTIONS OF EDUCATION

a. Repeal Education Act of 1982.
b. Repeal Campus Journalism Act of 1991.

c. Revamp the government policy of reducing the budget of state universities and colleges.

d. Review and strengthen the regulatory powers of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Department of Education (DepEd).