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MANILA, Philippines – Gradually opening up the economy may help address low enrollment rates in private schools by allowing unemployed parents to get jobs so they can afford to send their children back to private schools, he said Monday. the Secretary of Education, Leonor Briones.
Briones made this point during President Rodrigo Duterte’s prerecorded speech that aired late at night.
Briones noted that private school enrollment has been greatly affected by the closures imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to her, only 2.1 million students were enrolled in private schools for the 2020-2021 school year, or half the figure from last year.
“And this is where we can see the connection between the economy and education,” Briones said in Filipino. “Because many of those who are unemployed can no longer afford private school education.”
On the other hand, he noted that public schools achieved an enrollment of almost 100 percent.
“We believe, Mr. President, that while the economy is gradually opening up with more people moving and more Filipinos finding new jobs, they can afford to have their children go back to private school,” Briones said.
This file photo shows students attending a flag-raising ceremony before singing the national anthem at a public school in Manila. (AFP photo)
Like private schools, institutions offering alternative learning systems (ALS) were also affected by the recession caused by the pandemic, as the majority of ALS students are part-time workers, many of whom are also they lost their jobs, Briones added.
According to her, only 52 percent of ALS students were able to afford to go back to school.
The government, particularly DepEd, has come under fire for insisting on opening public schools despite clamor for an academic freeze, supposedly intended to allow families to focus first on economic recovery.
Previously, student groups supporting an academic freeze criticized Briones for labeling the opening of the school year a victory against the coronavirus. There is no victory, they said, if many students do not enroll due to inaccessible modes of distance learning.
But during Duterte’s speech on Monday, Briones clarified that his victory comment was referring to proponents of the academic freeze, despite clearly saying in his message for the new school year that the victory was against the pandemic.
“We declare our victory over COVID 19 – the Destroyer of our lives and the Destroyer of our economy and our society. But we will not allow COVID-19 to destroy our children’s education and their future, “he said in his message.
“Today we open our schools. Today, we claim victory over the destroyer (COVID 19). Let our classes begin! “she added.
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