Lethargic concern for education
Somehow it simply goes against common sense to believe that the transfer of National Economic and Development Authority Director General Romulo Neri to the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) has anything to do with addressing the gaps in our tertiary education.Why would Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo opt to appoint an economist to head the office mandated to promote quality higher education for all? Aren’t there so many education advocates out there who can effectively take over the job?
And why would she think that Neri will be able to troubleshoot the problems in tertiary education in just six months? What reforms can he possibly implement in so short a time? Why break the momentum now when reform programs in higher education are in place?
Not a few believe that Neri’s “demotion” is “punishment” for his position on the National Broadband Network (NBN) issue. Is Arroyo then treating an education institution as a temporary “penitentiary” to keep her allies in check?
Or let’s say Arroyo planned this arrangement very carefully -- she wants an economist to steer higher education in line with her economic agenda; reengineer tertiary education and match it with jobs available in the foreign labor market (e.g., nursing and teaching professions) -- which would further deplete our country’s pool of nurses and teachers; orient our higher education toward filling in the needs of our burgeoning industries today -- which means we will be training more of our workforce to be call center agents, medical transcribers, food and beverage attendants and mining workers.
Meanwhile, our agriculture, forestry, fisheries and health sectors -- the very sectors essential to our country’s genuine productivity and sustainability -- will suffer. Neri, thus, will be implementing not CHEd’s mandate, but merely Arroyo’s unsound economic policies in the realm of higher education.
Still another possible motive that some critics suspect is behind Neri’s transfer: the reportedly not-so-good relations among the three education chiefs at the Department of Education, CHEd and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) -- particularly between replaced CHEd Chair Carlito Puno and Tesda chief Augusto Syjuco. Arroyo reportedly wants to improve the coordination between the two agencies. If this is so, why make way for the one saddled with allegations of corruption? At least Puno had the backing of state colleges and universities which expressed their dismay over his removal from CHEd.
The general conclusion we can deduce from all these is that Neri’s transfer was an imprudent decision meant only to serve GMA’s interests.
All that Arroyo has done points out the fact that this administration does not take education seriously.
ANNIE ENRIQUEZ-GERON, general secretary, Public Services Labor Independent Confederation (PSLINK), 15 Clarion Lily St., Saint Dominic Subdivision I, Congressional Avenue, Project 6, Quezon City
