EDITORIAL - Narrowing the education gap

With 55,848 additional teachers hired this year, the government has filled 90.79 percent of the 61,510 openings for new educators in public schools, according to the Department of Education. This was attributed to the streamlining of the DepEd hiring process in coordination with the Civil Service Commission and the Professional Regulation Commission.

DepEd officials also reported that as of last year, there were no longer backlogs in seats and textbooks, while the government is aiming for zero backlog in classrooms by the end of the year. Those who remember the images at the start of the current school year, of pupils again sitting on floors or holding classes along school aisles, may be surprised by this assessment.

The acute shortage of public school facilities has prompted administrators in densely populated communities to hold classes in two or even three shifts daily. This allows the accommodation of all students, but it also means overworked teachers and shortened class hours. In exclusive private schools, where a class size of more than 20 is considered large, only pupils up to second or third grade have a half-day schoolday; it’s a whole day of learning for those in higher grades.

Hiring 55,848 new teachers is progress, along with the reported zero backlog in textbooks and desk seats. The same effort must be applied in upgrading the quality of public education. Wealth is not the only item whose distribution is inequitable in this country. While basic education is free and universal, there is a yawning gap in the quality of education received by the privileged and underprivileged classes. Public education should narrow that gap and open opportunities for the poor.