Campus upgrades won’t go far without empowered mentors

Much of corporate support for Philippine education has long come in tangible forms, such as chairs, learning materials, computers and other equipment schools can readily put to use.

The need for material support is evident in schools across the country, many of which still contend with shortages in basic facilities and equipment.

In July, for example, the Second Congressional Commission on Education (Edcom 2) said the country was short of more than 166,000 classrooms. The crunch could even deepen by 2028, when another 51,222 classrooms are expected to be more than 50 years old and due for replacement.

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But the country’s education woes go beyond such needs, and growing attention to teacher training and professional development is offering another front in efforts to improve learning environment.

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About six in 10 high school teachers handle subjects outside their undergraduate programs, a 2024 Edcom 2 study found. The mismatch even climbs to 98 percent in physical sciences and 80 percent in biological sciences.

Core of the system

A business community-led advocacy group said the findings make teacher development impossible to ignore.

“It is true that improvements in facilities, student training and resources are crucial, but none of these will matter without skilled teachers at the core of our education system,” said Justine Raagas, executive director of the Philippine Business for Education (PBEd).

“Education thrives when we have teachers who are empowered to teach, engage and inspire students,” she added.

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With the need for stronger teacher development growing, the private sector can help close the gap.

One initiative, from the Security Bank Foundation Inc. (SBFI) takes a long-term approach by putting teachers and principals through a three-year mentoring program. Its Mentoring Future Leaders for Nation-Building program—designed to strengthen classroom practice, peer coaching and schoolwide interventions—had trained more than 36,000 educators since 2014.

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True transformation

“Physical structures alone cannot improve education,” SBFI chair Rafael Simpao Jr. said. “True transformation lies in the hands of principals and teachers.”

For the League of Corporate Foundations (LCF), companies should collectively align their resources around clear gaps in the education system.

According to LCF chair Shem Jose Garcia, the country’s low rankings in the Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) results had pushed more corporate foundations to look at literacy gaps and build on programs already underway within the league.

“We already had literacy programs among our members. But a lot of us that did not have one saw what others were doing and partnered,” Garcia told the Inquirer.

Mindful of duplications

Supporting teachers, he said, should be central to the country’s response to the education crisis, with progress ultimately hinging on whether they get the tools and support they need.

Garcia also said the latest Pisa results, which showed stronger Philippine performance in literacy, offered an encouraging sign.

“That really shows what happens when you identify a challenge and then get different parts of society to come together to work toward this shared goal,” he added.

That coordination also means knowing where the private sector can add value without duplicating public efforts.

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LCF board member Ryan Vidanes said corporate foundations can get more out of their efforts by working with agencies such as the Department of Education and directing aid to gaps the government has yet to fill. INQ