Plant the seeds now for Philippine education

Buried in the inside pages of Philippine newspapers on Thursday was the damning admission by the Department of Education that more than one half of the country's 1.3 million graduating high school students are unfit for college.

The same news story carried the added admission by the education secretary, Jesli Lapus, that the results of this year's National Career Assessment Exams validated the results of similar assessments made over the years.

Actually, there is nothing new in these admissions. As Bob Dylan sang in the 1960s, " You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows. " In other words, we don't need the news to tell us what we have known all along.

Maybe that is why the story was buried in the inside pages. While there was no choice but to carry it, considering the weight of the story, there was no way for it to land in the front pages considering that what it had to say was old hat.

There could also be another reason why the story was crowded out of the front pages. These days, the stories that sell papers, and therefore virtual shoo-ins for page one, are mostly the political stories, the next election being just two months away.

But this is something that should not be left uncorrected, because more than anything else, education plays a key role in national development and no less than the future of the country is at stake when the deterioration of the quality of its education goes unchecked.

Perhaps this is something that should be made an issue in the elections, to be tackled especially by those who are running for the Senate. At least the senators can really do something by way of legislation that will once and for all address the problem bugging RP education.

There are in fact some who are running for the Senate now who should be singled out as doubly capable of doing something about the situation, owing to the fact that they may also be angling for the presidency in 2010.

They are Panfilo Lacson and Edgardo Angara, who ironically cannot seem to see eye to eye. But they cannot see eye to eye only in their politics. I have no doubt that on the larger issue of education, both reelectionist senators can do something, especially if they become president.

In fact it would be good for either or both of Lacson and Angara to start laying the foundation for a complete overhaul of our national priorities concerning education right upon their reelection to the Senate, which I have no doubt will happen.

Once the foundation has been set and established, it will be easier for any future programs to take off from there when 2010 swings around and one of them gets lucky enough to get elected president.

Lacson can add education to his platform of peace and order and clean government while Angara can reinforce his education platform coupled with agriculture. Both need to strengthen their platforms against the formidable Mar Roxas who is now busy preparing for 2010.

Any of the three are strong contenders for the presidency in 2010, although Roxas enjoys the advantage of being already in the Senate while Lacson and Angara have yet to seek reelection. Only then can they also be poised to really make a difference for education.

But first Lacson and Angara have to make it back. Anything less will render them less able to catch up with Roxas. Not that they no longer have a chance, but the fight will be harder. Remember, the results of this election are more crucial than most people think.