President Gloria
Macapagal Arroyo’s directive for CHED provide scholarships to the two
poor Boholano topnotchers in the high school division in the 2006
National Achievement Test, underscores her strong conviction on the
importance of quality education in uplifting the lives of the poor.
It is heartwarming to
note that the President took notice of the plight of the two
topnotchers who were unable to go to college because of poverty. More
touching is the fact that she did something to solve the problem of
the students. Few leaders has this personal touch, attention to
details, than President Arroyo. Others will find the situation too
small or too little a problem to be attended to by a President but for
the President, nothing is too big or too small when it comes to the
welfare of the Filipino people.
President Arroyo has
always emphasized that education is very important in her goal to
eradicate poverty and improve the economy of the country. In a
roundtable discussion with Education Secretary Jesli Lapuz and the
principal teachers of the topnotcher-schools in the 2006 NAT, the
President stressed that the lives of millions of Filipinos would
improve through education.
The good result of the
National Achievement Test which assesses the overall scholastic
performances of public schools and public school students nationwide,
will hopefully serve as an aid to the government policymakers in the
continuing upgrading of the country’s educational system.
Quality education
could only be attained with the full support of the local government
units, the community, the business sector and all the stakeholders in
education.
It is worth mentioning
that the Calbayog City National High School in the province of Samar,
capped the High School level in the 2006 National Achievement Test
even if it is funded only by the city government of Calbayog. It is
good to note that these students are the first batch of graduates of
this school which Congress has already approved to become a national
high school but unfortunately, the bill has been sleeping in the
Senate. These are students who cannot afford private education. It is
not telling what will happen to them sans the good vision of Mayor Mel
Sarmiento and the city officials.
Perhaps as a
prize for the good performance and proof of quality education that the
school has proven, the least that Senate could do to encourage
sustainability of the quality education the school has started, is to
pass the pending bill and make it into a national high school.
