The enrollment period in all public schools for School Year 2024-2025 kicked off the other day, 03 July 2024, across the country.
SY 2024-2025 in public elementary and secondary schools, including community learning centers, is set to start on 29 July 2024. This is exactly 10 days after Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara would have assumed office as the new Secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd).
We, therefore, view the timing of Senator Angara’s appointment in the Marcos Jr. Cabinet, as an opportune moment. We can sum it up as: New school year, new leadership.
The business community warmly welcomes Mr. Angara’s latest assignment in the executive branch of government.
The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry supports the appointment of Sen. Angara as it urges the incoming DepEd Secretary to prioritize the employment readiness of Filipino graduates. In a statement, the business group said that the “education system is not producing the human resources with the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values that are needed in today’s world of work, not to mention the future.”
Makati Business Club, meanwhile, looks forward working with the newest member of the Cabinet citing “the urgent need for an experienced leader who will be able to transform and revive the Philippine education system.”
On the other hand, the Philippine Business for Education mentioned Sen. Angara’s experience as Commissioner of the Second Congressional Commission on Education “will bolster our chances of addressing the learning crisis effectively.”
The learning crisis being referred here includes the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) Report conducted – a subject of an earlier column (See Creative Thinking, 21 June 2024) – by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), where Filipino students ranked second to the last in creative thinking.
As a former teacher myself having taught at the University of the Philippines Manila, University of Santo Tomas and the University of the East Manila, I share the optimism of the business community. I believe the new Secretary will rise to the challenge and seize the opportunities ahead.
Given Sen. Angara’s previous background as a reformist leader authoring and/or sponsoring around 36 pieces of legislation related to education and youth empowerment, I am confident that he will diligently do his homework and build on the gains of his predecessors for changes and innovations in his Department to continue flourishing.
Hail to the new DepEd Chief.
—
Dennis Ting is a former director at the Department of Budget and Management.
