‘Education president’ Leni Robredo gets a perfect score for her plans in education (Sabong News)

A coalition of organizations and education experts gave Vice President Leni Robredo a perfect score for her plans in education based on data-driven and fact-based research and monitoring of platforms and track records of presidential candidates in the upcoming elections. In an online press conference on Monday, April 25, Education Nation — a coalition composed of 35 organizations and 21 education experts — gave Robredo 10 out of 10 or a perfect score for her plans to address the ongoing education crisis in the country. Based on its findings, said that VP Leni Robredo is the “Education President” the country needs to address the education crisis. However, it clarified that it will remain non-partisan & is “not going to campaign or lobby” for anyone in the elections. “Leni Robredo is the only candidate with a detailed strategy to take us out of this mess,” said Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) Policy and Advocacy Manager Marco de los Reyes. De los Reyes, who took the lead in the research for the voter’s guide to electing the “Education president,” cited that one of the first things Robredo would do if elected president is to “declare an education crisis to ensure an all-hands on deck response.” Two weeks before the May 9 elections, Education Nation presented its assessment of how the plans and initiatives of the presidential candidates. The plans of Robredo, Bongbong Marcos, Ping Lacson, Isko Moreno, Manny Pacquiao, and Leody de Guzman on the education sector were assessed based on the 10-point education reform agenda. “Each candidate earned a point for every initiative, stance, and platform that aligns with the coalition’s goal of ensuring good education governance, conducive learning environment, and facilitating the empowerment of teachers and schools, and high standards of learning for all,” the coalition said. Based on its findings, Education Nation said that only “one candidate stood out by showing a brand of leadership that makes education a priority.” “In our analysis of the candidates’ platforms, only the vice president has presented a clear plan to stem the crisis outlined in her Kalayaan sa Kakulangan sa Edukasyon platform,” de los Reyes explained. Robredo, he added, got a “perfect score” for this because “strategies, clear goals and consultative and evidence-based solutions is the kind of response we need to stem the learning crisis.” While the other presidential candidates have their education agenda, the coalition said they were close to Robredo’s but “not quite.” Lacson took the second place spot with his fight for an adequate budget for education in the senate and his Edukasyon Plus platform that enhances existing government programs. Moreno came in third with his “impressive” education aid and infrastructure projects and activities in Manila. The coalition cited that his “Tunay na solusyon, Mabilis Umaksyon” program for education incorporates key points of the 10-point agenda. However, his support for public and private education complementarity remains “unclear” — along with his plans to strengthen community capacity and accountability for student learning. Marcos Jr., on the other hand, ranked fourth with the education measures he was able to push for during his term in the senate. “While he has laid down some education plans, these lack the strategy needed to solve the education crisis,” the coalition said. Education Nation said that De Guzman and Pacquiao placed last because their platforms “lack a clear plan of action to improve the education system and respond to the needs of the sector.”