Slaves to their Rights

Whenthe Western neoliberal ideology raced to influence the world, the Philippines quickly got caught at its seams. The neoliberalist ideology is not an unfamiliar face, it has been mingling with the sector since 2012— pioneering the comprehensive reform known as K-12 Program in the country. Even then the system had its own cross to bear, piling up stains and pinholes to its philosophy and regulation. Now, over the years spent cascading into dark times— its flaws bring irreversible damage.

Neoliberalism’s political and economic philosophy emphasizes free trade, privatization, deregulation, and colonization. In layman’s terms, it values a free market largely untouched by the government. Incorporated with the word free, the said economic reform is accepted while viewed through rose-colored glasses. Under its flagship aspects raising social inequality, the

Philippine education sector remains sick and symptomatic. For instance, with the interference of neoliberalism policies under privatization, private institutions compete against each other leaving education in a spiral of conditions operating in a business-like setting. As the neoliberalism ideology continues to shape the future of Filipino education, education becomes a privilege rather than a right. Under these conditions, the quality of education relies on the private sector which in turn, transforms schools into money farms for the greater profit of school owners. Privatization furthered exemplified by the K-12 Program shifted money away from public schools to private schools through its Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASTPE) voucher system. The more money earned by the private sector, the more the public suffers— worsening its pre-existing problems.

With the accumulated lack of budget in public schools, resources fall short— failing to satisfy its desired ratio of 1:1 to the rising population of public-school students. In Alabel National Science High School alone, there is a 2:1 student-to-textbook ratio, failing to meet the desired levels set by the Department of Education (DepEd) Order No.74 Series of 2011. Adding salt to the wound, the culprit caused a steady decline in textbooks and instructional material budget. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 when resources are most essential, the appropriation was cut in half from 2019’s 1.8 billion to only 963 million. In an ironic fashion, the constraint contempt those in need and favors the rich. But the students are not the sole victims of the alarming setbacks raised by neoliberalism, teachers also are enslaved by its deregulation. In the onslaught of deregulation, teachers are almost produced to be bent— not only to be teachers but to be administrative workers. As of 2021, teachers receive a salary of P26,052— a fairly small amount to compensate for the exploitation of their workload. More than what meets the eye, deregulation caused by neoliberalism exacerbated the existence of learning poverty in the country. With the dominating reality forged by the latter, the purpose of education is inarguably defeated.

Through the lens of neoliberalism, learners are seen as consumers— no longer self-benefiting but rather working to survive in the reality tailored by neoliberalism based on socioeconomic status. Teachers, on the other hand, are seen as machines— working to selflessly provide for the greater good. As the country gains ground with the demands of globalization, the education sector remains tainted by inequality and undermined social justice antecedent to the neoliberalist agenda. Given the irreversible damage that it caused, it is time for the government to rethink the inadequate investment it grants the sector. Adequate commitment and investment must be granted to public schools by addressing the lack of resources and underfunding. In these trying times, it is crucial the narrow the gap of inequality between private and public learners. Education should remain as an attainable, free, and equal right rather than a profited privilege. It is time to recognize that when education is profited from, Filipino learners become slaves to their rights.

Thescribblers

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