Assistant Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro raised alarm over P5.9 billion cuts in important programs and projects of the Department of Education (DepEd) in the proposed 2022 national budget.
Castro said that while DepEd received a P32.8 billion of 6% increase it “does not mean its programs are adequately funded.”
“Despite boasting a P99.2 billion budget allocation for the Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan in the Presidential Budget Message, significant cuts can be observed in important projects and programs,” Castro said.
While President Rodrigo Duterte bragged about its preparation for the gradual resumption of face-to-face classes with the P5.4 billion budget allocation for the Basic Education Facilities program, Castro said what it did not say is that this amount decreased by P5.7 billion or 51% from this year’s budget.
“How can the Duterte administration say that it is preparing for the gradual reopening of face-to-face classes if it significantly slashed the budget for school facilities?” she added.
Castro said the School-Based Feeding program was also decreased by P2.7 billion or 45% lower than this year’s budget.
She said the Flexible Learning Options also suffered a P1.4 billion cut.
The lady solon also said that minimal to no increase in budget allocation were observed in the Textbooks and Other Instructional Materials, Early Language Literacy and Numeracy, Multigrade Education, Child Protection Program, among others.
“With these cuts in the significant programs and projects, teachers will once again be forced to use their own funds from their already tight budgets from their measly salaries to bridge the gap of the shortcomings and negligence of the government to provide adequate support for the blended distance learning,” Castro stressed.
Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)
Hello, my name is Jack Sparrow. I'm a 50 year old self-employed Pirate from the Caribbean.
No comments:
Post a Comment