Latest news with #VocationalEducation
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GMA Network
2 days ago
- Business
- GMA Network
SONA 2025: A guide for kids
President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. vowed to improve basic services in the last three years of his administration during his fourth State of the Nation Address. Before lawmakers, cabinet officials, ambassadors, and other dignitaries at the Batasang Pambansa on Monday, the president said the results of the recently held mid-term elections is a clear message that the people are dismayed by the performance of the government. He said his administration must do better and be quicker in ensuring the welfare of Filipinos. 'Kung datos lang ang pag-uusapan, maganda ang ating ekonomiya, tumaas ang kumpiyansa ng mga negosyante. Bumaba ang inflation, dumami ang trabaho,' he said. 'Ngunit ang lahat ng ito ay palamuti lamang, walang saysay, kung ang ating kababayan naman ay hirap pa rin at nabibigatan sa kanilang buhay.' To this end, Marcos reported what the government has achieved so far, what is being done, and what plans of action are to be implemented for various sectors. Labor Marcos said his government is working to give jobs to the 4% of the workforce that remain unemployed. The president plans to grow various industries including automotive, molding, electronics, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, critical minerals, local textiles, Halal, construction, and power plants to create more jobs. TESDA's Technical Vocational Education and Training programs are gradually being integrated into Senior High School, so students can be employed right after graduation with national certificates. The government also aims to help 2.5 million families establish small businesses through providing capital with low interest rates and no collateral needed. Marcos appealed to the business sector to invest in the Filipino, boasting of the workers' dependability, adaptability, skills, and heart for service. Agriculture The administration will allocate P13 billion to improve the programs of the Department of Agriculture so the P20 rice per kilo can be rolled out nationwide through the Kadiwa stores. Marcos will also request Congress to amend the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act to address the needs of the coconut farmers in support of the industry. The Department of Agriculture is also disbursing Certificates of Land Ownership Award, e-titles, and Certificates of Condonation with Release of Mortgages for the beneficiaries of agrarian reform. Public Utilities Marcos addressed complaints over the lack of water supply, with over 6 million people affected nationwide. The Local Water Utilities Administration is now taking action against water districts and their joint venture partners. To address lack of electricity, he said almost 200 plants will be constructed in the last three years of his administration. This will provide electricity to four million households. In addition, over one million households will be equipped with solar-power home systems by the end of 2028. Education The government allocated P1 billion for the construction of over 300 Barangay Child Development Centers and 'Bulilit Centers' nationwide to address the long-term shortage of daycare centers. To address classroom shortage, Marcos said 22,000 classrooms have been constructed in the past year. The administration will strive to build 40,000 more in partnership with the private sector before he steps down in 2028. To address teacher shortage and make it easier for our educators, 60,000 teaching items have been added and teachers will be compensated for overload and overtime starting this school year. Marcos also promised that by the end of the year, all public schools will have internet connection. One million sim cards with free data are already being distributed in schools, especially those in far-flung areas. Almost P60 billion will be allocated next year for free tuition in public universities and colleges and TESDA. Health The Zero Balance Billing policy is now implemented in Department of Health hospitals, which means patients do not have to pay for basic accommodation services. Patients undergoing dialysis three times a week will get the treatment for free for the whole year. The medicines will also be available for free. PhilHealth coverage has also been expanded to include kidney transplant, open heart surgery, heart valve replacement and repair, emergency services, various outpatient services, and more. Peace and Order Marcos said government agencies are cooperating to solve the case of the Lost Sabungeros. He vowed to go after the people involved and make them accountable, whether they are civilians or officials. The president also said over 153,000 arrests have been made in anti-drug operations. Over 9,600 are high-value targets, over 670 are government staff, over 100 are elected officials, and over 50 are police. Almost P80 billion worth of illegal drugs have also been confiscated. Transportation Additional train cars from the Dalian trains procured in 2014 are now being deployed after not being used for a decade. Persons with Disabilities, senior citizens, and students will now get a 50% discount on the MRT and LRT, up from the previous 25%. The Love Bus of the 1970s will also return and offer rides for free. Pilot testing is already underway in Davao and Cebu, with more cities in Visayas and Mindanao to follow. Infrastructure The Guadalupe bridge connecting Mandaluyong City and Makati City will be rehabilitated to ensure the safety of the public. A detour bridge will be constructed on both sides and work on the main bridge will only begin once this is done. The construction of the Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge will begin before the year ends. It will connect Mariveles to Naic, cutting travel time from five hours to 45 minutes. Meanwhile, the Mindanao Transport Connectivity Improvement Project will rehabilitate the major roads connecting Cagayan De Oro City, Davao City, and General Santos City. Marcos also vowed to look into flood control projects after many cities and provinces experienced flooding due to the effects of the Habagat and the recent typhoons. The Department of Public Works and Highways will submit to him a list of all the projects that were started and completed in the last years. This list will be published for transparency. The list will be examined to identify failed, unfinished, or alleged ghost projects. They will also be audited to know how public money was spent on the project. —CDC, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
2 days ago
- Business
- GMA Network
SONA 2025: Marcos to award merit scholarships to exemplary HS students
High school students with exceptional academic performances will be given presidential merit scholarships, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on his fourth State of the Nation Address Monday. In SONA 2025, Marcos said the scholarship program will be awarded to graduating high school students with highest honors in recognition of their efforts. 'Bilang natatanging pagkilala, gagawaran natin ng Presidential Merit Scholarships ang mga high school graduates na makakakuha ng Highest Honors,' he said. (To recognize their efforts, high school students with highest honors will be awarded with presidential merit scholarships.) Malacañang has yet to provide further details on the scholarship program. Meanwhile, the President also reiterated that Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programs will be included in the strands for the senior high school (SHS) curriculum program. 'Ibig sabihin, ang mag-aaral natin, Senior High School pa lamang, makakapili na siya kung Bookkeeping, Agribusiness, Electrical, o Graphic Design ang kanyang napupusuang larangan,' he said. (This means that as early as SHS, students can choose if they want to pursue Bookkeeping, Agribusiness, Electrical, or Graphic Design.) 'Diretso pagka-graduate, puwede na agad mag-hanapbuhay kung gugustuhin, dahil para na rin siyang nakapag-aral sa TESDA at nakakuha ng NC II o NC III,' he added. (After they graduate, they can already work if they want to because it would like they they studied under TESDA and completed NC II or NC III.) Marcos vowed of additional P60 billion budget in support for the free tertiary education and technical vocational (tech-voc) programs in the country. He also said the number of scholars under the TESDA tech-voc program grew by 200,000 in 2024. —AOL, GMA Integrated News
RNZ News
6 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Cabinet papers reveal 550 polytech courses and 900 jobs gone
Newly released cabinet documents reveal the extent of cuts in the Polytech sector: 550 courses abolished and 900 full time jobs gone. Vocational Education Minister Penny Simmonds is overseeing huge change in the sector, including the dismantling of Te Pukenga, with the future of four polytechs in Northland, Taranaki, Wellington and Westcoast still in doubt. The cabinet paper shows for the first time how many jobs and courses have gone already. TEU National Secretary Sandra Grey speaks with Kathryn. To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
RNZ News
7 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Polytech changes will cost 1000 jobs, 500 courses, Cabinet paper reveals
Vocational Education Minister Penny Simmonds. Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver A Cabinet paper reveals reestablishing independent polytechnics will cost more than 500 courses and about 1000 jobs. The March paper from Vocational Education Minister Penny Simmonds said polytechnics had started to act on financial improvement plans that would ensure they were viable when they were cut free from super-institute Te Pūkenga . "Polytechnics have begun implementing their financial improvement plans, which as of late 2024 indicated reductions of approximately 550 programmes, up to 900 FTE and approximately 30 delivery sites," it said. "The final model for work-based learning will also change the spread of training provision between polytechnics, wānanga and private providers. It would be premature to commit to long-term plans to support important provision when there is potential for delivery to look very different once these processes are completed." The paper said the government would set aside $20 million to ensure the retention of strategically important, but potentially unviable courses. "I intend to review support for strategically important provision in the second half of 2026, including long-term options to support the organisations that provide it and how to incentivise delivery of the provision that regions need, through either polytechnics, Wānanga, or private providers who may be able to fill gaps," the paper said. The paper also said using $6.5m from a special funding category aimed at supporting Māori and Pacific students to boost government subsidies for polytech courses generally could have a negative effect. "Tertiary education organisations may see the removal of the Māori and Pacific learner criteria from the Learner Component as a signal that programmes tailored to support these learners are no longer needed and can be substituted with more generic student support programmes. This may negatively impact on Māori and Pacific learner outcomes." Tertiary Education Union national secretary Sandra Grey told RNZ's Nine to Noon it was the first time the full scale of the cuts had been revealed. Tertiary Education Union national secretary Sandra Grey. Photo: Supplied "This is the first time we've seen it in black and white. We've been feeling it every week as each institution tries to right-size so that it can cope with the minister's vision for them. "To see 500 jobs going in black and white is really hard for the sector." Grey said the changes would remove vocational education and training from some communities altogether. The government recently announced nine of the 16 polytechnics that joined Te Pūkenga would emerge as stand-alone institutes next year . Three of the remaining institutes would join a federation, with the fate of four others yet to be decided. Simmonds said in a statement: "The Cabinet paper confirms the scale of change required to re-establish a financially viable and regionally responsive vocational education network. The paper you are referring to is an early piece of advice and there were several updates made." She said the government had asked the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) work with Te Pūkenga to assist all polytechnics to review their operations, "an exercise that should have happened five years ago when Te Pūkenga was set up, to ensure the viability of the polytechnic sector". "As the minister, I am not privy to information regarding the operational decisions that polytechnics might contemplate. However, I would suggest that it is important for all polytechnics to be taking appropriate actions to ensure their overall viability and maintain their relationships. "We are absolutely committed to maintaining and improving access to vocational education across the regions. $20m has been secured from TEC to support provision in strategic regions and strategic delivery. Our goal is to give each polytechnic the autonomy to tailor provision to the needs of their region - something the old centralised model simply didn't allow." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
New Straits Times
7 days ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
No more jaguh kampung: 13MP must fix education at its root
WE know this story too well. For decades, learner drivers have been quietly told to pay a little extra — not just for driving school fees, but also for something more insidious. A token for the tester, so he would be more lenient. It was whispered as tradition, shrugged off as harmless. But it boils down to one thing: the lowering of standards. And it does not stop at driving tests. Stories abound of students scraping through with the barest of marks, or earning distinctions with percentages that would not meet the bar elsewhere. If this continues, we are not building a nation — we are building a myth. A jaguh kampung mindset: champions of the small pond, unprepared for the ocean. The 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), running from 2026 to 2030, places education and talent development at the heart of national transformation. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim — himself a former education minister — has called for sweeping reforms. And rightly so. He knows, perhaps better than most, what must be done. We need: PRESCHOOL reform that nurtures curiosity, not just compliance; TEACHER training that attracts the committed and talented, not those seeking a stable government job; and, A NATIONAL embrace of STEM education as the foundation of future competitiveness. Because here's the truth: if we fail to invest in the early years and the educators who shape them, we are not just short-changing students — we're sabotaging our future workforce. The 13MP rightly elevates Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). For too long, TVET was treated as a fallback. But in a world hungry for skilled technicians, coders and creators, it's the new frontline of innovation. Politicians and educators must stop viewing TVET as a second-tier option. It's not. It's strategic. It's essential. The 13MP promises to tackle the urban-rural education gap. But promises must be matched with infrastructure. Digital access, teacher deployment and community engagement must be prioritised — not just in policy papers, but in budget allocations and boots-on-the-ground execution. In this respect, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil deserves credit for pushing Internet access in rural schools. But we need more than connectivity — we need continuity, quality and commitment. For far too long, we have treated education as a routine function — another line item in the national budget. But when we neglect its deeper purpose, we find ourselves adrift. As Ghanaian philosopher Ernest Agyemang Yeboah reminds us: "Education is the spine of every nation. The better the education, the better the nation." Education needs a reckoning. And the 13MP could be that moment — if we dare to treat education not as a segment, but as the soul of our national progress. Education must be the engine of economic and societal progress. No compromise on quality upskilling, lifelong learning and workforce readiness. This is where Kesuma — the Human Resources Ministry under Steven Sim — can play a transformative role in shaping Kesuma Bangsa: the young talent who will be the pride ofMalaysia. With talent development now a national priority, reorganising the National Education Master Plan to reflect current realities is not optional — it's imperative. Malaysia's education system has long been caught between legacy structures and modern demands. We have spent years tweaking curricula, debating exam formats and sparring over language policies. But the deeper question remains: are we preparing Malaysians to thrive — not just survive — in a world that's changing faster than our syllabi? The 13MP offers a rare window to answer that question with boldness. The time is now.
