Monday, March 26, 2007 DepEd, PTCAs urged to lower dropout rates
A CEBU City legislator urged the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Parents Teachers Community Associations (PTCA) to address together the “alarming” incidence of students dropping out of school.
City Councilor Edgardo Labella, whose stepmother is a school principal, expressed concern about the reported 162,112 students who will not join this year’s graduates.
A Commission on Higher Education study, he said, “tends to indicate that ‘dropping out’ and incomplete requirements are factors that cause some students to miss their graduation year.”
These students ended up leaving school for numerous reasons; but Labella said some concerned teachers pointed at the DepEd’s strict implementation of guidelines on passing and failing grades.
He suggested that DepEd and the PTCAs work together to help the students keep up with the academic demands of their schools.
Efforts
He said that while students dropping out had always been a big problem in the country’s public school system, DepEd’s efforts are not enough.
Also, Labella asked the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority to expand its community-based training programs, especially to people living in the slum areas, “so those who have less in life will be equipped with practical knowledge and skills necessary for eking a decent living.” (RHM)
