Making education work

Our office is in a barangay which is a stone’s throw away from Rockwell in Makati. Almost everything seems to work in Rockwell. The streets are clean. No cars are parked on the streets. Noise is even regulated. And sidewalks are lined with bushes, shrubs and hedges. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for my barangay. Cars and trucks are parked on the street. I feel like a tightrope walker squeezed in between vehicles. The streets are also closed without public notice so that they can serve as venues for parties and wakes. Last Saturday, the street was closed again because of a medical mission by the city government. Residents flocked to the tents that were set up to have their blood pressure checked and a get a free supply of medicine. As I tried to navigate along a very narrow path, I caught a glimpse of the Mayor holding a dialogue with them.

While residents felt honoured to meet their Mayor and have a taste of public services that are financed by their taxes, I cannot help but think of Naga City, Marikina, Valenzuela and Barangay Graceville in Quezon City, where almost everything works most of the time. People do not have to wait for medical missions because systems are in place. They know where, how, and where they can get health services at any time.

Governance is such an abstract word. But the lack of it is the source of many of our pains. We do not know the rules. When is killing a part of the duty of a policeman? Rules are not also enforced. Everyday, we face vehicles at EDSA coughing poisonous carbon dioxide. We seem to have a rule of personalities with a national leader proposing that congressmen should be spared from traffic violations! It is such a confused state.

I had similar feelings after the administration of President FVR. Fortunately, I was not alone. I felt safe in the company of kindred spirits who thought that we should focus on what is possible. We turned our sight on helping local governments govern well and adequately respond to the needs of their constituents. We noted that basic education was an area that was underserved. Only 7 out of 10 children made it to grade six. They were only able to answer 5 out of 10 questions in the National Achievement Test correctly.

We worked with five outstanding local government leaders headed by then Mayor Jesse Robredo: Governor Rodolfo Agbayani, Nueva Vizcaya; Governor Rafael Coscolluela, Negros Occidental; Governor Josie de La Cruz, Bulacan; and, Mayor Reynaldo Aquino, San Fernando City. They developed and lived how it is to govern education well:

•Education summits were called to inform communities on how their children were performing – and the news that they received was not good.

•They stirred passion and commitment for everyone to embrace the mission of helping all children to go to school.

•A common vision and simple work programs were formulated to ensure that all children finish grade six and at least be able to read well.

Fifteen years after, the number has grown to 317 local government units. They call themselves Synergeia, where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. They will gather together on September 27 and 28 at the Philippine Convention Center to reflect on the changes that have started for children to learn well and have a better future. They will also be planning together on what more needs to be done.

Education governance is not an easy task. Those in power have apprehensions and fears in allowing others to participate in decision-making. The process of democratization can cause leaders to lose power and control. But this is the only way by which people can be helped to develop their full potential. They must be given a space and confidence to be listened to and to speak their minds out. They must be involved in formulating the rules and policies that they themselves will obey. They must participate in evaluating whether the programs are delivering good results or whether they need to be changed.

Education governance is not also a “cool ” task. There are no tarps, no ribbon cutting, and no edifices that politicians can crow about. It is about opening information to everybody, and organizing procedures so that things can be done systematically.

Education governance takes time. The development of knowledge, skills and values of children will take years. But we need to take heart. Mayor Jesse said that starting a task is equally important as completing it. Fr. Jett Villarin promises that heaven will not forget whoever does work to help the little ones.

mguevara@synergeia.org.ph