Pinoy schools abroad talk about bill on extra two yrs in schools
An annual conference of various Philippine schools around the world held recently discussed various programs aimed at enhancing the quality of education of school children most of whom are dependents of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
Participants came from Bahrain, China, Greece, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
One of the issues discussed was a proposed bill that, if enacted, would add two years in the Philippine school curriculum.
Instead of six years in elementary and four years in high school for a total of 10 years, the proposed measure aims to increase it to 12 years before any student can enter college.
“I think that’s a good development. Because in the region when they talk of credit equivalencies, sometimes they single out the Philippines and say, oh but you know your students have lesser preparations than us, you know,” said Dr. Jose Paulo Campos, president, Emilio Aguinaldo College.
School administrators said parents of school children will not support this proposal since this will mean additional expenses.
On the average, an elementary student abroad spends around P50,000 per year in tuition alone.
This is why most families of OFWs always want their children to finish high school early so that they can send them back to the Philippines and pursue college.
“Kasi sa Saudi Arabia, hindi naman fixed doon ang mga nagtratrabaho, sometimes mag fo-for good, kaya gusto nila matapos kaagad, makauwi ng Pilipinas at makapag-college,” said Dr. Amelita dela Cruz, administrator of Al Taj International School, Riyadh.
But the Commission on Filipino Overseas said parents and school administrators abroad should study this proposal since this will result in better quality of future Filipino workers abroad.
“I’m encouraging them to look into it na magkaroon ng karagdagang dalawang taon, para mas maging competitive tayo,” Sec. Dante Ang, chairman of the commission.
“All in all our expectations are higher, in terms of setting the standards for raising your schools achievements,” said Ms. Jennifer Gonzales, executive director, of the commission. With a report from Dindo Amparo, ABS-CBN, Middle East News Bureau, Dubai
No Comments
No comments yet.
Comments RSS TrackBack Identifier URI
Leave a comment