EDCOM II bill hurdles Senate

THE Senate on Tuesday approved a measure extending the Second Congressional Commission on Education’s (EDCOM II) life for another two years on third and final reading.

All sixteen senators present on Tuesday’s session approved Senate Bill No. 1483 that proposes to extend the commission to December 2027 from its initial December 2025 deadline, allowing the commission more time to ensure education reforms are fully implemented beyond its deadline this year.

The measure would also allow for further research, oversight of initial reforms, and coordination with stakeholders to turn proposals into lasting policies.

The proposed extension has also received support from the Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education, and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, during a committee hearing earlier.

The commission is tasked to work with Congress and other government agencies to ensure alignment of education and training systems with national development and labor market requirements.

A similar measure seeking to extend the commission’s life span hurdled a House of Representatives committee last month.

Formed in 2022, the education commission was tasked with crafting reforms to address weaknesses in the school system exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, when classrooms were shut for more than two years, forcing a nationwide shift to online learning that led to stunted learning.

A World Bank report noted that nine out of 10 Filipinos are unable to read and understand a simple age-appropriate text at age 10.

Filipino students were among the world’s weakest in math, reading and science, according to the 2022 Program for International Student Assessment. The Philippines ranked 77^th out of 81 countries and performed worse than the global average in all categories. — Adrian H. Halili