Recto calls for one book, one student ratio in public schools

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto called for a “one book to one student” ratio in public schools in the country. 

"Broadband learning does not cancel the need for books. On the contrary, it makes it imperative. Hindi ibig sabihin na dahil via Internet na, wala nang instructional materials. Kung wala na ngang laptop, wala pang signal, tapos wala pang libro, eh paano na ang mga bata?" Recto said.

(It does not mean that if it’s via Internet, there will be no instructional materials. If the children have no laptop, no signal and even no books, how will they fare?)

The senator however expressed concern that the national inventory of books in public schools is not enough to meet the desired 1:1 book-to-learner ratio. 

"The printing of millions of new books out of this year's and previous years' appropriations may have been disrupted by the recent three-month long lockdown”, he said.

Recto also noted the steady decline in appropriations for textbooks and instructional material. He pointed out that this year's budget for textbooks is P963 million, half of last year's P1.8 billion. In 2015, it was P3.46 billion, P4.1 billion in 2016, P3 billion in 2017 and P2.9 billion in 2018.

"So from 81 million books delivered since 2016, the target volume to be distributed out of this year's budget are 10.3 million textbooks and instructional materials," Recto said. 

The senator also called for more funds for schools whose teachers are printing their own instruction modules under the new normal. 

"Yung budget ng DepEd, kinaltasan ng halos P8 billion at inialay sa laban sa Covid. Eh di ibalik yung parte nito para sa libro at mga programang kailangan ng 27.2 million na kabataang Pilipino para sablended education nila," Recto said.

(P8 billion was transferred from the DepEd budget to the Covid effort. Then let us return part of this for books and programs for 27.2 million Filipino students undergoing blended education. )