Press Release
March 29, 2011

OUT-OF-SCHOOL YOUTH, UNREGULATED SCHOOLS ARE MAJOR PROBLEMS IN PHL EDUCATION SYSTEM--ANGARA

In a recent interview with the United States Agency for International Development or USAID, Senator Edgardo J. Angara lamented the increasing number of out-of-school youth in the country and the lack of regulation among so-called "diploma mills".

According to Angara, the number of school-age children who do not have the means to go to school has gone up in recent years.

"One of the biggest problems is not being able to reach the out-of-school youth who whose numbers might already match those who attend classes regularly. We must find a way to draw them back into the classrooms," he said.

Not all of them are forced to stop studying because of finances, though. Some students, lacking the basic skills in math and English, fall behind their peers and are discouraged from going back to their lessons.

"Whatever the reason, the fact remains that a huge number of students aren't getting the education they deserve. This situation is feeding the unbroken cycle of poverty in our nation," said Angara.

DIPLOMA MILLS

Angara also took a stand against unregulated schools, the so-called "diploma mills" cropping up all over the country. These schools offer college degrees, using substandard academic programs without educational accreditation.

"These diploma mills are operated primarily as businesses rather than as educational institutions. If they choose at all to be registered with the proper authorities, they do so by sticking to the bare minimum. In effect, they're shortchanging the students of a proper education," said Angara.

Angara stressed the need for immediate action in order to fix the holes in the Philippine educational system.

"Every Filipino deserves a good education. Now that these problems have been brought to the surface, we must act as soon as possible," he emphasized.

News Latest News Feed