The Alliance of Concerned Teachers has called on the House of Representatives to reallocate the budget earmarked for the proposed Charter change plebiscite toward constructing more classrooms, amid the learning crisis.
“NEDA (National Economic Development Authority) projects spending a staggering P28 billion on a Cha-cha plebiscite. Yet, this sum could construct more than 11,000 classrooms, to at least reduce the crippling deficit of 159,000 classrooms reported by DepEd (Department of Education). It is a stark misallocation of resources, prioritizing constitutional amendments over the urgent needs of our teachers and students, who suffer in overcrowded and inconducive learning environments,” said ACT chairman Vladimer Quetua.
ACT also reiterated its opposition to the proposed constitutional amendments, stressing these would only tighten foreign control over the Philippines.
“It is appalling that budget for education is being scrimped despite the enormity of backlogs and shortages, and teachers and all other employees and workers are also being scrimped with measly wage increases and benefits, yet funds can be set aside and spent on Cha-cha solely for the interests of foreign entities and a few in power. It seems that the current administration is not alarmed with the worsening education crisis we are facing,” Quetua lamented.
If our legislators had given the education sector the same priority as their pet project, charter change, there would be no reason for groups like ACT to complain. However, given that the country is in the midst of an actual learning crisis, and their solution to it, along with many other problems of the country, is changing the constitution, it is not surprising to hear differing groups voicing their complaints over what seems to be a disconnect in the priorities of this administration and its law makers.
Until there is concrete proof that charter change is indeed a silver bullet that will cure most of this country’s ills and truly deserves the priority treatment that it is currently getting form our lawmakers, they should expect more resistance from various groups that not only feel ignored, but also share the perception that the billions of pesos we will be spending on Cha-cha would be better off spent on other more real problems besetting the country.*
