No to compulsory kindergarten

I AM writing in reaction to the news item titled “Bill seeks to make kindergarten compulsory.” (Inquirer, 4/4/11)

I commend Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara for his efforts to make education more accessible to Filipino children. However, in my humble opinion, the Kindergarten Education bill he filed would only complicate most of the problems now facing the Philippine education system. Why should we appropriate funds for kindergarten education at this time when we hardly have enough for primary and secondary education?

Contrary to the report, many countries have yet to integrate kindergarten education into their mandatory, basic education program. (Kindergarten is usually only for those who can afford it, and they are usually the elite.) In those countries, students, even though they have not gone through kindergarten, perform well. For instance, Singapore and Japan, which do not have compulsory kindergarten education, have been consistently topping the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) exams (although an infrastructure exists for parents who opt to send their children to kindergarten).

The “lack of academic preparedness” on the part of teachers, as indicated in the article, could be the cause for the decreasing quality of education here. And one reason for this could be the poor quality of our teachers, as indicated by the decreasing number of education graduates who pass the Licensure Examinations for Teachers (LETs). Another reason could be the lack of funds for quality education. Could we pass a law appropriating funds to improve our primary education instead of a law requiring kindergarten education?

However, the greater problem lies in our high school students. I have come across high school students who cannot do a simple mathematical calculation, a skill expected of them in lower grade levels. There is now a debate on whether to extend our high school education from four years to six years, like in other countries. I am not sure if this would be the best solution, but clearly, many of our high school graduates are ill-prepared for the challenges of college education.

The challenge for the Aquino administration is to find ways to make the entire Philippine education system more competitive in the global arena.

—KURT TANYU,
kurt.tanyu@gmail.com