Diokno: Voter, human rights education must be part of curriculum

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Diokno: Voter, human rights education must be part of curriculum

Mico Abarro,

ABS-CBN News

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MANILA—Senatorial candidate Chel Diokno vowed on Saturday to integrate human rights and voter education in the curricula of schools, while at the same time correct historical inaccuracies in textbooks if he won in the upcoming May elections.

"Our students rank among the lowest in the world in reading, mathematics and science, and historical inaccuracies hinder the understanding and appreciation of our history," Diokno said.

"We are also way below world standards in expenditure per student, a measure of the public investment that a country devotes annually to each student’s education."

Diokno added that COVID-19 worsened this problem, saying 2.7 million students dropped out of school due to the pandemic.

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"Access to quality education is my principal concern, especially in light of the impact on the pandemic on learning," he said.

Among the human rights lawyer's promises is raising the country's education budget to at least 4% of the Philippines' GDP, and ensure the money is spent on priorities, such as upgrading the salary grade levels of public school teachers, providing well-reviewed textbooks to children, and providing ample instructional supplies and equipment for educators.

"I will also propose the creation of a Deputy Ombudsman for Social Services that will include education (aside from health and other social services) in order to eradicate corruption, waste, and political influence in the allocation and disbursement of education resources," Diokno said.

Last year, a World Bank report said that 80 percent of Filipino students fell below the minimum level of proficiency for their grade levels.

Among 79 countries, the Philippines was rated last in reading, and second to last in science and mathematics.

In 2019, 4th graders in the Philippines ranked last in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) among 58 countries.

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