Technology for our Better Education

In the next few years, we will have a generation of under performers. This national tragedy looms with lack of funds to finance the education of our youth. This situation prevails though education, of all government departments, gets the lion’s share of the budget. Ironically, despite the budgetary priority, the Philippines has one of the lowest budget allocation among ASEAN countries. Insufficient money also prevents us from building more classrooms and hiring additional teachers. But since Filipinos put a premium on education, parents are oblivious of crowded classrooms. Some pupils are even willing to attend classes under the tree. It is really amazing that 96 percent of elementary school-aged children are in school. Filipinos have, indeed, always, considered education as the most valuable gift parents can give to their children, a legacy that transcends generation, a treasure that can never be stolen, and a testament which can never be ravaged by war or famine. Poverty is driving a big number of Filipinos out of school. One in every three Filipinos students drops out by sixth grade and more than half drop out before finishing high school. So, we cannot simply allow this big number of Filipinos to allow in ignorance or under education.