THE Education Network (E-Net), a civil-society group of public-school teachers and private educators in the country, said although the country’s education budget has doubled in the last four years to P281.7 billion this year from P175 billion in 2010, a large disparity in budget distribution makes it difficult to reach youth in poor communities.
Addie T. Unsi, national coordinator of E-Net Philippines, said the budget allocation for the country’s education sector has never reached the required 20 percent of the national budget based on recommendations of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco).
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has proposed an increased budget worth P318.9 billion, the highest allocation in the P2.606-trillion budget for 2015.
Unesco’s Education for All (EFA) also recommends to state signatories to allocate 6 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) to education. But the group said in 2014, the education budget was just 2.6 percent of GDP, way below Unesco’s recommendation.
“This level puts the Philippines among the lowest education spenders in Asia,” said Unsi in a paper presented by Social Watch at the recent budget hearing in Congress. He said the country’s budget for education is still way below the required 6-percent GDP, similar to the allocations of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, East Timor that are still below 3 percent of GDP.
Unesco’s Education for All in 2015 aims to achieve six goals that include expanding coverage of early childhood care and education especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children.
EFA also ensures that by 2015, all children particularly girls in difficult situations, those who belong to ethnic minorities will have access to complete, free and compulsory primary education of good quality.
Certainly, there has been progress achieved, but uneven across the country and still falling short of the MDG/EFA targets.
Unsi said the Philippines remains with the highest number of out-of-school children in Asia and gender equality remained a challenge in the education sector.
“Critical programs to reach the unreached are not adequate,” said Unsi, stressing the large disparity in education access across regions.
He said only 1 percent of the education budget is allocated to the poorest and most marginalized.
The lead educator said the government must expand access to the education of marginalized youth who belong to the country’s out-of-school youth, indigenous people and persons with disabilities.