Where’s the village to raise a child?

The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EdCom II) recently released their year one report entitled “Miseducation: The failed system of Philippine education.” It is a very informative and persuasive read on the ongoing education crisis in our country that uses a systemic, multisectoral lens. As a first-time parent of an infant, I am particularly drawn to their findings on the country’s efforts toward early childhood care and development (ECCD).

I was taught in psychology that the first three months of life is the most crucial for development. This is the reason why we advocate for maternity leave to be at least three months so that the mother can focus completely on their child’s care and well-being though we know in reality that a mother cannot do this if the father or other family member isn’t there to take care of her and the household, which is why a seven-day paternity leave is sorely lacking. Good ECCD is also the great equalizer—it sets the child up for success and resilience. It doesn’t just help with physical growth and development, but also starts the child off with essential life and relationship skills such as learning to do things independently, learning how to share, and learning how to make and mend friendships. As a psychologist, I am less concerned about academic learning at this stage as much as I would like families to focus on socioemotional skills. It is also through ECCD that children can foster a love for learning which is important for academic resilience and helps them tolerate the experience of mistakes and losses.

The EdCom II report highlighted nutrition and feeding, with the Philippines having one of the highest prevalence of under-5 stunting at 26.7 percent. What has this got to do with education? Nutrition is a make-or-break factor in a child’s capacity to learn and grow. Without adequate nutrition, a child can become at-risk for developmental delays. Aside from nutrition, an enriched environment is also a must. This is where child development centers (CDC) come in. The report found that early childhood education is not equally accessible throughout the country. Despite the mandate that each barangay should have a CDC, only 36 percent of barangays were able to comply due to lack of funds. A vast majority, 89 percent, of child development teachers and workers are also on nonpermanent or voluntary basis and receive an average of only P5,000 a month. No wonder, then, that very few opt to train in early childhood education given poor financial prospects and career progression.

My own personal search for the best child development program for my child resonated with the educational landscape described by the report. My ideal would be to make use of a public CDC, as is my right as a resident. But these are scarce, and their quality varied widely between barangays. The CDCs also tend to be understaffed which meant limited slots. As someone with a middle-class income, I also felt guilty if I took a slot from someone who didn’t have other options. This led me to search for private preschools. Let’s just say I had sticker-shock when I saw the tuition fees. They were definitely not middle-class prices! There was one CDC run by a public university that fit a middle-class budget, but slots are so limited that they had to accept students via a live-streamed lottery. This is the conundrum of the Filipino parent: our choices are so polarized that we either feel that we are not providing the best life for our children or have to get broke doing so. My dream society is where every choice is a good-enough choice.

“It is difficult to identify a problem when everything is a problem,” says the report, citing the education crisis’ complex nature. Looking at how fragmented the implementation is for ECCD goals, I agree with the commission’s overall recommendations to (1) add alternative delivery of ECCD including private, community-based, and home-based programs, (2) develop education pathways for child development workers and teachers, and (3) create plantilla positions for them. The system, as it is, requires simultaneous solutions from all fronts. We need to increase equitable access to ECCD by allowing different modes in which the family can receive resources and quality instruction. If we say that ECCD is a priority, then the government needs to show it through money: pay for salaried positions for workers. This will help attract people to the profession and instantly improve the quality of ECCD.

A conducive learning environment is also not limited to classrooms or centers. Establish parks, playgrounds, and libraries which can serve as enriched environments for physical and socioemotional development. Bring back quality educational media (I miss “Batibot”!). There will be more equal access if learning is accessible everywhere and not just in paid spaces. They say it takes a village to raise a child.

Let’s build a better village in which a child can grow to their full potential.

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aatuazon@up.edu.ph