EDITORIAL - Investing in the future

Twenty years ago today, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization found it necessary to observe a special day to honor teachers. Last year Filipinos observed the special day by urging students to thank their teachers and the public to show appreciation to educators.

Considering the role played by teachers in nation-building, they deserve thanks every day. Teaching has lost popularity in the past decades as other professions such as nursing beckoned with higher salaries and better chances of being employed overseas. Low pay even prompted a number of teachers to work as nannies and housemaids abroad.

The government is now moving to prevent more teachers from leaving and make the profession attractive again to the youth. Salaries have been gradually increasing even as measures are being implemented to upgrade the quality of the nation’s corps of educators.

The work, particularly in crowded public schools, can still be overwhelming. And graduates of culinary courses are likely to earn much more, whether in the country or abroad, than the average teacher. The examples of individuals such as CNN hero Efren Peñaflorida provide inspiration, but more incentives are needed for the nation to have more educators.

The story of Peñaflorida’s classroom on a pushcart highlighted the need for broader education services especially for the extremely poor. As required by the Constitution, education gets the largest share of the annual national budget among all the government services, although in actual figures, the lion’s share goes to debt payments. Basic education including kindergarten is also free and compulsory.

The past years have seen numerous improvements in education services. But there are still many gaps to be filled to improve the quality of Philippine education. Improving the plight of teachers should be among the priorities. As the theme of World Teachers’ Day points out, those who invest in teachers invest in the nation’s future.