SENATORIABLE and Makati Mayor Abby Binay has zeroed in on strengthening early childhood education as a crucial step in improving the quality of education in the country.

In recent media interviews, the mayor said the education sector should focus more on developing students’ basic literacy and numeracy skills in the early years to enable them to cope with more complex knowledge and skills as they move up the education ladder.

“Kailangan po talaga nating tutukan yung ECCD or Early Childhood Care and Development, kasama dito yung daycare. Kasi ang paniniwala po natin ay ‘foundation is key’. Kung hindi po maganda ang foundation, kahit ano pang bridging na gagawin ninyo bandang dulo na – Grade 5, Grade 6, medyo too late na,” Binay said. (We must focus on ECCD starting from daycare. We believe that ‘foundation is key’. Efforts to bridge the learning gap by Grade 5 or Grade 6 might already be too late.)

She said that basic proficiency in Reading, Math, and Science should be developed from preschool to Grade 3 to equip students with essential skills, such as reading comprehension and knowledge of basic mathematical concepts and the fundamentals of Science.

Binay cited as an example the K-12 basic education program of the Department of Education, which aimed to produce skilled, highly employable senior high school graduates who can opt to join the workforce after graduation.

“Ang tanong, noong K to 10, maganda ba yung foundation nila para maging employable sila pagkatapos ng senior high? Hindi puwedeng papasukan mo ng skills sa senior high, tapos yung foundation nila like basic English, basic numeracy – kung hindi maganda, mahihirapan silang makapasok sa trabaho,” the mayor said. (The question is, did they have a good foundation during K to 10 to make them employable after senior high? Even if they are taught skills in senior high, if they lack foundational skills like basic English and basic numeracy, it would be hard to get hired.)

She also stressed the importance of implementing interventions for learning gaps not later than Grade 3.

“Poor literacy and numeracy levels should already be addressed in Grade 3 through appropriate interventions. Otherwise, many students will be left behind, unable to keep up with more advanced lessons. They may even drop out eventually,” Binay said.

During her administration, Makati strengthened ECCD through innovative measures, such as launching the Pre-Kindergarten program for four to five-year old learners not yet eligible for Kindergarten. Equipped with a pre-K kit, complete set of modules and OTG, learners are taught basic social skills, basic hygiene and basic skills to prepare them to cope well and excel in Kindergarten.

The city also launched in 2023 Project FEED (Food for Excellent Education and Development), providing nutritious and delicious snack foods and beverages to over 42,000 public elementary school students during school days.

To date, the city continues to implement Project MILES (Mathematics Intensive Learning Enhancement for Students) aimed to improve the competencies of Grade 1 to 10 students in Math. It has invested millions annually in “Koobits”, a Singaporean Math software program, and shoulders the honoraria of teachers conducting the program.

Since 2024, qualified students enrolled in the Special Science and Math Curriculum in selected public elementary and high schools of Makati have been granted a P1,500-monthly stipend to draw in more students to the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) educational track. STEM graduates are in high demand in the global workplace and have the opportunity to land high-paying jobs.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Ryan Ponce Pacpaco