DepEd-CAR wants out from Education Act

By Maria Aprila W. Cruz

BAGUIO CITY-- The Department of Education has passed a resolution requesting exemption of the Cordillera Administrative Region from application of Republic Act 7880 or  "Fair and Equitable Access to Education Act."

During the recent Regional Social Development Committee meeting here, DepEd-CAR assistant regional director Sebastian Tayaban said law provides fair and equitable allocation of  DepEd budget for capital outlay.

He added main objective of the allocation shall be to alleviate classroom shortage in the country.

The law reportedly provides 50% of the total capital outlay would be allocated pro-rata according to each legislative district’s student population in relation to the total student of the country.

It also provides that 40% of the total capital outlay allocated only among those legislative districts with classroom shortage of the country based on the 45:1 student –classroom ratio, and 10% to be allocated in accordance with the implementation of the Act. 

“CAR being the least populated region in the entire country as per the 2010 National Statistics Office survey results and with its rugged topography, small population, dispersed settlement and difficult accessibility, the region cannot meet the standard of 45:1 student-classroom ration to be entitled to one classroom,” he said.

“And with 75% of the region’s Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets in the education sector having a low probability of being attained, the law makes it even more difficult for CAR to improve the delivery of basic education services to its constituents, especially those in the rural areas.”

Members of the RSDC endorsed the DepEd proposal to the Regional Development Council for support and stipulated that t copies of said proposal be furnished to all congressmen in the CAR and DepEd central office for action.