PHILIPPINES, June 2 - Press Release
June 1, 2023

EDCOM 2 opens consultations for top education issues

The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) opened its first round of consultations for two of its 28 Priority Areas today.

In its website, the Commission published two "Green Papers" that aim to stimulate discussion on priority areas under consideration. The Green Papers are accompanied by survey forms that are open to responses from the general public.

"We hope to invite concerned stakeholders and the general public to participate in the debates surrounding specific areas", EDCOM 2 Executive Director Dr. Karol Mark Yee said. "We also encourage researchers and academics to submit relevant research, as well as specific comments and suggestions for the issues that we are currently studying".

Under Early Childhood Care and Development, questions focus on governance and financing of the sector. According to the Green Paper, "the goal is to understand the priority area, its underlying issues, and research questions; shed light on the country's ECCD services; and propose solutions and connect them to improved learning outcomes of Filipino students".

Questions on Basic Education revolve around the measurement of learning outcomes. "[The Green Paper] seeks to identify the specific barriers to establishing and maintaining an effective system of assessments in Philippine basic education. The goal is to develop and institutionalize an assessment system that will improve evidence-based decision-making, enhance accountability, increase efficiency, and ultimately lead to improved learning outcomes for Filipino learners."

Some of the questions under the consultation are, "How can the measurements of learning outcomes be placed on a single scale and be used to track learners' progress from Kinder to Grade 12?", "How does the current assessment system compare with other international exemplars?", and "What are the best modes of quality assurance and performance monitoring of learning outcomes, particularly for Senior High School?"

The two surveys mark the first round of consultations that EDCOM 2 will conduct in the course of its three-year lifespan. Other areas with similar green papers forthcoming are Higher Education, Teacher Education, Technical-Vocational Education and Training (TVET), and Governance and Finance.

"These Green Papers allow us the opportunity to gather insights from people on the ground who are really concerned about elevating the quality of our education system", Dr. Yee said. "We hope to spark consultations like these so that our policy recommendations are informed by the realities on the ground, and by the experiences of people who know the system".

Education stakeholders and the general public can participate by going to www.edcom2.gov.ph/edukonsultasyon. The public is given until July 25, 2023 to respond.