MANILA — Due to the many reforms introduced by Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Leonor Briones, the agency has enjoyed the highest approval rating for two years.
At a media briefing Thursday, DepEd reported that it has garnered 83 percent rating on March 2017 and 84 percent on March 2018 in the Pulse Asia Ulat ng Bayan Survey.
The figures represent the highest performance ratings reached by DepEd since 2005 across areas, gender and socio-economic class.
In the same media briefing, Briones said the survey results show that their efforts to deliver their mandate for the learners, teachers and stakeholders are already yielding results.
“It means that quality basic education is reaching more learners, in and outside formal school, is becoming more relevant to their aspirations, and is improving their chances at better opportunities in life,” she said.
Briones said DepEd will ensure that out of school children and youth (OSCYs) would be brought back to the educational system in the succeeding years.
In connection with this, Briones said the department pushed for the full implementation of the K to 12 Basic Education Program and Balik-Aral, and Senior High School to equip all Filipino learners with knowledge and skills needed for competency in the modern age.
For his part, DepEd Undersecretary Nepomuceno Malaluan said the approval rating “reflects the improvements in the state of the education system nationwide.”
DepEd Undersecretary Annalyn Sevilla said the agency is looking into the high cost of educational financing which remains a big factor as to why learners drop out of school even though the number of OSCYs decreased from 39 million in 2016 to 36 million in 2017, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority’s Annual Poverty Indicators Survey.
With a sample size of 1,200 respondents from the National Capital Region, Balance Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, the awareness and performance survey was conducted between March 23 and 28. It has a margin error of ± 3. (Ma. Teresa Montemayor/PNA)
