TEACHERS Dignity Coalition (TDC) national chairperson Benjo Basas yesterday urged the passage of a law that will require public officials, from barangay captain up to the president, to enroll their kids in public schools from Kindergarten to Grade 12 for them to get a first-hand account of the difficulties and problems in the country’s public schools.
“We need a law requiring all elected politicians and other high-ranking officials to enroll their children in public schools from Kindergarten to Grade 12. And they should also attend PTA meetings,” Basas said in a social media post.
Basas explained that the measure aims to ensure three key outcomes: that government officials demonstrate pride and trust in the government system, gain firsthand understanding of its challenges, and prioritize funding for school facilities, security, quality curriculum, and proper care for teachers and personnel.
Basas issued the call amid the ongoing crisis in public education and the national discourse on how to address its worsening condition.
“The problem now is who will sponsor such a bill?” the TDC chair added.
As of this writing, the post has gained 3,500 reactions, 744 shares and 368 comments just an hour after it was posted on Facebook.
Among the perennial problems facing the public education sector is the classroom shortage.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had emphasized the urgency of the problem in his 4th State of the Nation Address last month, declaring that there is a need to tap the private sector in the construction of 40,000 new classrooms before the end of his administration in 2028.
Last month, DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara said the department is working with the private sector to build 15,000 new classrooms by 2027 to ease the congestion in public schools.
Earlier, Angara said the classroom shortage in public schools stood at 165,000 and may take several decades to resolve if the current pace of construction is not addressed.
