Press Release
February 11, 2010

Aquino Unveils Agenda for Philippine Education System

Leading presidential candidate, Senator Benigno "Noynoy" S. Aquino, unveiled his platform to reform the Philippine education system at the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Institutions (COCOPEA) Congress on the State of the Philippine Education today at the SM Convention Center, SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City.

Speaking before 500 university presidents, the Liberal Party standard bearer vowed to give public school students an equal chance to have quality education and profitable jobs by adding two years to basic education.

"Those who can afford to pay for up to fourteen years of schooling before entering universities are getting the best jobs. I want at least 12 years for our public school children to give them an even chance at succeeding," said Aquino, who currently leads in all the major presidential surveys.

"My education team has designed a way to go from our current 10 years to a K-12 system in five years starting in school year 2011-2012. Kindergarten to Grade 12 is what the rest of the world gives their children. I will expand the basic education cycle in the country from a short and insufficient 10-year cycle to a globally comparable 12-year cycle before the end of the next administration," he added.

Aquino urged university and private school leaders to join him in achieving his 10-point basic education agenda, which includes measures like the expansion of the Governance Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education Program to fund the studies of 1 million poor but deserving high school students in private schools, and the introduction of technical vocational education as an alternative stream in senior high school.

He said that fixing the state of education will be his long-term solution to problems like poverty and the lack of employment.

The COCOPEA is the umbrella federation of all private schools and universities in the country. The Congress on the State of Philippine Education aims to develop a national agenda of action to improve the current state of Philippine Education.

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