WHILE the country's private sector gets ready for the K-12 educational system, out-of-school youth are still at risk, according to a top official.
Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVvet) founding chairperson Joji Ilagan Bian said on Wednesday that major challenge is whether the students will proceed to senior high (Grade 11 and 12) after graduating from junior high.
“The future is not very clear. The question is how many of this junior high school will proceed to senior high school?” she asked.
Ilagan said if they will get a great number of students who will not proceed to senior high school, they will increase the mass base of out-of-school youth (OSY), thus, not meeting the objective of the education department of eliminating or decreasing the number of OSYs.
“It will only add another layer of educational bureaucracy,” Bian said, underscoring that the challenge to solve the issue is vague.
She also said that more opt to study in public schools due to financial constraints.
“The greater majority chooses to go to a public school since everything is subsidized. Some go to schools near their houses so they can save up on transportation expenses,” she said.
She, however, noted a "not so satisfying" number of Grade 11 enrollees so far.
Ilagan said that the Filipino culture puts premium on education, thus, she urges all institutions to fill the gap between the minimum basic requirements offered by the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) to maximize it rather staying in mediocrity for the country to be more globally competitive.
“There is quality education of hospitality and tourism in the Philippines and in fact we have the most numbers of masters here,” she said.
She added that the gains and benefits of the country towards educational development will be truly felt four to 10 years from now.
Meanwhile, Bian as the country director of Asia-Pacific Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education or APacCHRIE, will participate in the 14th Asia Pacific Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education Conference slated May 11 to 13 in Bangkok, Thailand.
The annual event is an avenue wherein related industry players will have an intellectual exchange of researches and ideas on food and wine, Casino, gambling, management, hospitality, crisis management, business continuity and tourism industry areas.
APacCHRIE, is a federation of the I-CHRIE. Members of APacCHRIE constitute all countries in the Pacific Rim. (Berchan Louie A. Angchay, AdDU Intern)