Education is critical for economic progress but access to education in the Philippines remains a challenge, particularly for those living in poverty or in rural areas. According to government statistics, 1 in 6 Filipino children do not attend school and only 7 out of 10 children complete elementary school. Those living in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao have among the highest poverty rates, ranging from 42-47%. Rural schools often have fewer resources and qualified teachers than urban schools. Over 45,000 children in the Bangsamoro region lack access to any school, requiring some like Lizabel to make long three-hour walks each day from their remote homes to the nearest village school. Overcrowding in classrooms is also an ongoing problem, such

1. Social Sector Studies:
Education

2. Education is a critical component of economic
progress. Education has a major impact on social
mobility, fairness, public health, and increased
employment opportunities, among other things, at
the microeconomic level.

3. According to the Department of Education and the
National Statistical Coordination Board in the
Philippines, 1 in 6 Filipino kids will not attend
school, and only 7 out of 10 kids will complete
elementary school.

4. Among various indicators of poverty, Filipinos were
found to be most deprived in gaining access to
education, the new multidimensional poverty index
(MPI) created by the Philippine Statistics Authority
(PSA).

5. The National Capital Region, Calabarzon,
and Central Luzon continue to have the
lowest poverty incidence rates in the
first semesters of 2006, 2009, and 2012.
In the first semesters of 2006, 2009, and
2012, the ARMM (Autonomous Region
in Muslim Mindanao) regularly ranked in
the lowest worst cluster of the regions,
with a poverty incidence among families
ranging from 42 percent to 47 percent.

7. Urban schools are often larger, have greater
control over resource allocation, are less likely to
experience staff shortages, have a higher
proportion of qualified instructors, and have
higher student-teacher ratios than rural and town
schools, especially in partner nations and
economies.

9. Over 45,000 children in the Bangsamoro region don't have
access to a school

11. A long walk from home to school
By 5 AM, Lizabel and her friends begin the three-hour trek to the village
center, arriving just in time for school, sometimes even late. Braving the
semi-dark hours through cornfields and rivers has been Lizabel’s routine for
going to school for the past six years. The children flock together during the
walk to avoid any danger on the way.
Lizabel belongs to the indigenous Teduray, a tribe of upland farmers, in
South Upi, Maguindanao, in Southern Philippines. Her family lives in the
outskirts of the village, three hours from the town center. In the absence
of public transportation, walking is the only way for Lizabel and her friends
in the area to get to school.

13. As the Department of Education (DepEd) opened a new
school year on Monday, June 3, old problems in the form of
cramped spaces and a lack of classrooms greeted students
and teachers once more.
DepEd official opened the academic year for 2019-2020 on
Monday by welcoming over 27 million students who enrolled
from kinder to senior high school.
The education department continues to receive more
students each year, but not all schools can keep up with he
growth in population of students.

14. In Quezon City, for instance, the lack of available
classrooms has been a problem for some 4 years at the
Bagong Silangan High School. Teachers have had to split
classrooms in half – forcing the same number of students
into a smaller space – to cope with having a larger
number of students enrolled.
Bagong Silangan Faculty President John Robido told
Rappler that students in Grades 7 and 8 are most affected
by this, with around 80 to 100 students occupying a room
for a given class.