Press Release
August 24, 2011

ANGARA: MODERNIZE PHL EDUC SYSTEM TO KEEP PACE
WITH ASEAN NEIGHBORS

New teaching techniques and technology-based instruction materials are key to filling the gaps in the country's educational infrastructure, said Senator Edgardo J. Angara as he keynoted the Multi-Stakeholders' Forum held at the Philippine Normal University in Manila on Monday.

The forum brought together representatives from the academe, government and private sector to help chart the future of the PNU, which was declared the National Center for Teacher Education by virtue of Republic Act 9647, whose parent bill Angara co-sponsored.

"These new technologies and developments in pedagogy can play a vital role in the delivery of educational services in the Philippines and can present an alternative solution to the age-old problems of scarcity in classrooms, teachers and books," he said.

According to Angara, head of the Senate Committee on Education, Arts and Culture, the education sector must strive doubly hard to keep pace with the rapid technological developments around the world.

"We have entered the digital era--the age of the Internet which presents unmatched connectivity and unlimited resources. This is why teachers, with the help of us in government, should work together to reformulate new policies that would enable our educational system to keep up with technological demands of the times," he explained.

Angara asserted that modernizing the educational system would greatly improve our country's performance relative to our neighbours in Southeast Asia.

"This is a sure-fire way for the Philippines to be on par with the international benchmarks of competitiveness, literacy, skills and knowledge--areas in which we still perform poorly," said Angara.

The veteran lawmaker and chair of the Senate Committee on Science and Technology urged the government to invest in education-oriented research and development.

"Perhaps we should look into the possibility of creating our own center for educational research, akin to the Singapore Center for Pedagogy. They analyze curriculum content and study new teaching techniques, which have greatly benefited their educational system and have made it one of the best in Asia. Similarly, I believe we should maximize the potential of our human capital, which is our best asset as a country," he said.

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