‘WELL done is better than well said” is an inspirational quote by Benjamin Franklin, a renowned polymath, that suits outgoing Education Secretary Bro. Armin Luistro, FSC.
Luistro said he gave all that he could to better the “largest bureaucracy in the country was in crisis.”
In an exclusive interview with the BusinessMirror, Luistro, the only person who finished the six-year term as the head of the Department of Education (DepEd), admitted that he will leave the agency “very happy.”
“I am very, very, very happy for leading the DepEd for six years. But I don’t think I still can do another day as head of the DepEd. Looking at the fruits…it was a very difficult post to lead,” said Luistro, under whose term the bigg—the K to 12 program—was implemented.
“We don’t rate ourselves. The students should be the one who will rate the teacher,” he said, adding “the fruits will be reaped after 10 years.”
He admitted that being the DepEd chief was the “most difficult and stressful work I have ever received my entire life. This is the last time that I am going to do this. I already gave everything I could. Okay na iyon.”
When he took over the helm of the DepEd, he was bent on fighting corruption in the department.
“We have to uphold our integrity as we push for the thrust of implementing policies that conform to the ethical standard of public service,” Luistro said, when he accepted the mandate from President Aquino.
In an effort to strengthen good governance in making quality basic education accessible to Filipinos, Luistro issued DepEd Memorandum 485, series 2010 to encourage all teaching and non-teaching personnel to join the antigraft and corruption prevention campaign in December 2010.
He considers the K to 12 Program his legacy to the department, and Internet connectivity his unfinished business.
“I leave the DepEd with our target in terms of school connectivity to the Internet not yet complete. There were delayed bids or delivery. At least 60 percent of elementary schools are now connected,” he said.
“Our target was every school, even if they don’t have electricity. We would be happy to see that a student and a teacher inside a classroom equipped with a computer could be online at least an hour per week. We have 47,000 schools. I will turn this over to incoming Secretary Liling [Leonor M. Briones],” he said.
“If we are able to use technology, K to 12 and the other reforms could go to a much higher level if we are able to use technology. Can you imagine if all the schools can encode in real time, all the reports generated? What if there is a disaster? We have to visit 5,000 schools. We have to send an engineer and follow up. If all schools have an IT [information technology] person, the possibilities of improvement are endless. We were just able to digitize the curriculum. But we still see the DepEd providing all schools nationwide with an IT package,” he said. “We wanted to make our learning resources and textbooks available online nationwide, put in software. And if there are any errors, we do not have to reprint. We can correct online.”
He expressed optimism that once IT capability will be full blown, “that will change even our formula of teachers.”
As early as last year, Luistro started to say good-bye to DepEd regional officials.
“Last year I prepared them. When I went around the provinces, I told them this was my last year in DepEd. By next year, when Grade 11 starts, it would be in your hands already,” he said.
“I told them they are your children. You monitor them. Kung merong hindi makakabukas ng programa, huwag niyong sisisihin ang central office kung delay ang building. Dahil kayo ang nasa ground, alam niyo ’yung plan B. Kung hindi magawa ang plan B, dapat may plan C kayo. I turned it over to them last year. Ang implementation ng Grade 11 is yours,” he said.
Luistro just laughed when asked if he even thought of quitting the DepEd during the time he was bombarded with criticisms.
“You know what? In DepEd, all you think of is ‘what am I going to do tomorrow?’ When we did the K to 12, it entailed broad thinking from the curriculum [to the] mother tongue, kindergarten. To be honest, there was no time to even sit down and ask myself: Should I quit?” Luistro said and smiled.
He said the work overload gave him “extra adrenaline.”
As all things must come to an end, Luistro said it is time to pass the baton to his successor.
“When people ask me: Why not continue [your stint]? Honestly, physically and spiritually, I feel that everything is fine now. My term has to end. I cannot do another marathon, especially in the DepEd. We need to do a relay. It is now time to pass the baton to somebody who can continue the next stage,” a fulfilled and satisfied Luistro said.
With Dale Calanog