Sana Patas, Kasi Dapat Patas: A Petition for Equal Access to Education
Target Audience: Parents, Students, Government Officials, and Advocacy Groups
To: Education Department
Education is an important tool that can change lives, but how can it help if only those with access to quality education get the opportunity? Many students from low-income families struggle to enter public schools or universities because of financial problems. Their economic background affects their ability to focus on their studies.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), in 2016, 3.8 million Filipinos (1 in 10 individuals aged 6 to 24) were not enrolled in school. About 53% of them came from the poorest families. Many students drop out to work and help their families survive. They leave school because their families cannot afford school fees, allowances, or daily needs. As a result, many of them struggle in life, with their main focus being how to survive each day instead of learning and improving their future.
In many communities, parents send their children to school but do not actively check on their learning progress or monitor their improvement. As the saying goes, "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." However, what happens if education is available to everyone, but only a few receive quality education—the kind of education that truly prepares students for the future. One of the biggest challenges in public education is the overcrowded classrooms. On average, one teacher handles 40 or more students, making it difficult to give each child the attention they need. So how can they have a quality education?
In 2022, the World Bank classified 90% of Filipino children aged 10 as learning poor, meaning they could not read and understand a simple text at that age. This highlights the urgent need for not just access to education but access to quality education, along with proper monitoring of students' learning and progress in school.
These issues must be addressed by the government and other organizations. Education is crucial in helping students return to school, support their families, and gain knowledge for a successful future. While some people succeed despite dropping out, they are only a few in a million. Most students still need proper education to have a better future.
We ask the government to work with institutions and organizations to help students stay in school by:
- Providing long-term jobs to support low-income families.
- Expanding scholarship programs for students in need.
- Offering free training and vocational courses to prepare students for in-demand jobs.
We encourage everyone to support this petition by spreading awareness, joining discussions, and voicing their concerns. If we work together, our voices will be louder and easier to hear by those in power. We must also choose leaders who truly listen to the people and find long-term solutions to problems like this.
Please sign this petition to help support and promote equal access to quality education for all!
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