EI STUDY ON ORGANIZING WITHIN PRIVATIZED EDUCATION
Questionnaire to all EI affiliates
Dear Colleague,
EI Policy Paper adopted by EI 6th Congress in 2011, defines public education as one where:
Democratically elected governments, whether at local, regional or national level, should be the
guarantors and primary providers of education systems. Such public authorities have the key
responsibility for ensuring that free, universally accessible education is well-resourced and
constantly updated and developed.
Privatization poses the most serious threat to public education and unions. As acknowledged in the
resolution on Recruitment and Organizing, adopted by EI 6th Congress in 2011, “The rapidly changing
nature of school management models has allowed private education providers, to which Education
International is fundamentally opposed, to play an increasingly significant role in the privatization of
public schools and create new challenges to organizing.”
This survey will inform the new EI study “Organizing within privatized education” helping to map and
analyze the scope and scale of the ongoing process of change in education systems and how it
affects teacher unions. Its main focus is on unions’ strategies in organizing and representing teachers
and other education staff in the privatized education sector. However, part of the questions is
designed to characterize the main trends and forms which privatization takes in various countries.
Privatized education in this survey is defined broadly as private (both for and not for profit) provision
(operation/management) of education both in general public and in formally independent private
schools such as charter schools in US or some of the free schools in the UK which may or may not be
considered part of public education. We will refer to such schools as privately managed schools.
While the scope of this survey is limited to general compulsory primary and secondary education, for
the purpose of developing a better understanding of the broader context in which the privatization
of education takes place, in the Question 4 we also ask how widespread private provision in early
childhood, vocational and higher education levels is.
If your union is representing education workers only outside general primary and/or secondary
education you do not have to fill this questionnaire.
This study follows the EI previous research work on privatization: the study “Hidden Privatization of
Public Education” (2008) and “Public Private Partnerships in Education” (2009) and will help EI to
uncover how widely private provision of general education is spreading as well as to develop
strategies for EI and affiliates alike on how to counter these privatization trends.
In this survey we ask unions to respond for the whole country, unless they represent education staff
only in some part of the country (e.g. in federal countries) in which case please indicate which state
or province your responses are referring to.
GENERAL INFORMATION
1
Name of Organization
What sector(s) does your organization
represent?
(Select all that apply)
ALLIANCE of CONCERNED TEACHERS (ACT)
Early Childhood Education
Primary Education
Secondary Education
Vocational (Technical) Education and Training
Higher Education
Other _______________
What kinds of education staff does your
organization represent? (Select any that apply)
Teachers
Administrators/School leaders
Support Staff
Country: PHILIPPINES
Region:
Africa
State/province: ____________________
Asia-Pacific
Europe
Latin America
North America/Caribbean
Name of individual completing questionnaire
(optional): Perla P.Bunda
Position/job titles of individual completing
questionnaire:member, national Women’s
Committee and National Secretariat of ACT
Contact information (email and phone):
pearlpayat@yahoo.com
632-09088949483
Website of organization (if applicable):
TRENDS IN PRIVATIZATION
1. Are any of these forms of private provision of primary and secondary education present in
your country? Select all that apply.
Primary
Secondary
2
Private schools managed by private for profit providers
Private schools managed by private not for profit providers
Public (state) schools managed by private for profit providers
Public (state) schools managed by private not for profit providers
If there are other forms of private provision of primary and secondary education which do not
correspond to any of the models described above, please describe shortly
There a a few so called “mission schools” run by the religious sector which are non-profit. These
schools usually are for the minorities/tribal peoples.
2.Has there been a particular expansion of any of the forms mentioned in Question 1 in the last
five years at the primary and secondary level?
Yes, of all selected
Yes, but only (please specify) _____________________________________
No, situation remained the same
Don’t know
2. How are privately managed schools funded? Please select all that apply.
Publically funded school vouchers that enable families to send their children to attend privately
operated schools
Required parent financial contributions (fees) to privately managed schools their children attend
National/local government funds
Foreign donor aid
Grants from charities/trusts/foundations/NGO
Faith based funding (church, religious community)
Investment from business enterprises
Don’t know
Other, please describe _________________________________________
3. Considering your response to question 1, what is the extent of private provision of
education in different education sectors? Please select one approximate value for each
sector indicating the proportion of institutions that are privately managed.
0%
>25%
>50%
>75%
>100%
Early Childhood
3
Primary
Secondary
VET
Higher Education
Please, add any comment :
It is difficult to approximate the value for each sector. In my country through the so called
Government Assistance to Teachers and Students in private Education (GATSPE). Please
consider the following information
At present, the government has renewed its effort in reaching the MDG and EFA targets of 2015. For
fiscal year 2011, Php207.27B was allocated for education. The amount is equivalent to 12.6% of the
total national budget and 2.9% of the country’s GDP. It is the highest allocation given to education in
the last twenty years but still below the international benchmark. In 2012, the education budget is Php
238.76B which is 15.2 per cent higher than previous year. From this amount, at least Php5.8B has
been earmarked for service contracting. For 2012, the amount reached to Php 6.3B. Stakeholders,
particularly the private sector, are again being enjoined by the government to participate in ensuring
that all children and youth are given access to quality education. The Aquino government has framed
Public-Private Partnership (PPP) as a governance and development strategy tool, with Education
Service Contracting (ESC) as its main vehicle for implementation.
ESC is implemented across all regions in the country and covers all Divisions under the Department
of Education. The initial budget for ESC was close to Php354.57 million (SY 1996-1997). The budget
covered 210,630 grantees across the country. As the years progressed, the budget amount and number
of grantees steadily increased. In terms of percentage, however, the increases fluctuate. Substantial
budget increase year on year occurred from SY1999-2000 to SY2000-2001 when it reached 60%, and
from SY 2003-2004 to SY2004-2005, when it attained 77.6%. Budget increase was also significant,
although on a lesser scale, between SY 2004-2005 and SY 2005-2006 (23%), and between SY 20062007 and SY 2007-2008 (38%). By SY 2010-2011, ESC budget has broken the Php3 billion mark.
The amount covers 595,566 students in 3,178 schools across the country. For SY 2011-2012, budget
allocation has been pegged at Php5.8 billion. This was further increased to Php6.3 billion for SY
2012-2013. UNICEF-EAPRO & ADB (2011) aver that GASTPE is “one of the largest
educational service-delivery programmes in the world.
4. Which agents are involved in private provision of education in your country/territory?
[Please select all that apply]
Domestic private for profit sector
Foreign private for profit sector
Domestic charities/NGOs
Domestic faith based organizations
International charities/NGOs
4
International faith based organizations
International development organizations
Don’t know
Others, please specify _______________________________________
5. If you selected some of the categories in Q5, please, name most important agents
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
6. If there has been expansion of private provision of education in your country (Referring
Q2), what are the main factors that have contributed to this? Please select all that apply.
Privatization of other public services
Perceived failing public education system
Systemic underfunding of public education
Closure of public (state) schools
Demand for socioeconomically segregated schools
Demand for schools segregated by gender
Demand for religious segregated schools
Demand for education in minority languages/culture
Demand for safety and security
Perception that privately managed schools will have more autonomy from central and local
authorities
Pressure by donors/International Financial Institutions
Profit seeking entrepreneurship
Political will to undermine teacher unions
Don’t know
Other, please specify__________________________________________
7. Here are some reasons often stated by government(s) for promoting private provision
of education. Please indicate if any of these reasons are presented by government(s)
in your country. Please select all that apply.
5
Budgetary limitations/need for more financial resources
Reduction of public debt
Raise management standards in school
Provide innovation in management and delivery of services
Provide greater effectivness and/or efficiency
Provide choice for parents
Create competition between schools
Improve the quality of education
Improve access to education
Independence and autonomy
Don’t know
Others, please specify ___________________________________
8. How does your union characterize the impact of privatization system wide on the
provision of primary and secondary education in your country?
Negative
Neutral
Positive
Other, please describe________
EFFECTS OF PRIVATIZATION ON EDUCATORS AND EDUCATION UNIONS
9. Have any of the following policies been implemented in your country?
Private
schools
Public
schools
Privately
managed
public
(state )
schools
9.1 Standardized student testing as the measure of
accountability for schools
9.2 Teacher evaluation tied to student test scores
9.3 Teacher salary or other incentives tied to student test
scores
6
9.4 Increased school choice options
9.5 Introduction of league tables
9.6 Closure of “underperforming” schools
9.7 A narrower school curriculum
9.8 Copyrighting’ of school resources including teachers’
lesson plans
9.10 Removal of the requirement to employ qualified
teachers
9.11 Increases to the length of the school day
9.12 Increases of the teachers working time
9.13 Increases to the length of the school year
9.14 Ability to vary nationally agreed teacher pay and
conditions
9.15 Restrictions of collective bargaining for teachers and
school staff
9.16 Individual employment contracts for teachers and
school staff
9.17 Competition between schools for students
9.18 Reduction of professional development for teachers
Other, please, describe ____________________________________________
10. Have any of the policies listed in the Question 9 generated opposition among your
members?
Yes
No
Don’t know
If yes, please, list up to three policies that have generated most opposition
 Increased working time for teachers
 Narrow school curriculum
 Reduction of professional development for teachers
11. Has your organization or your members taken any actions to oppose these privatization
policies?
Yes
No
Don’t know
If yes, please, describe : We organize lobbying and mobilizations to criticize and oppose our
government’s K to 12 Program which embodies the privatization of public education in basic and
secondary education in the Philippines. At present, the government partners with the business
7
sector, non-government organizations, private enterprises, privately-run education institutions,
church-based organizations, and community-based organizations in the financing and delivery of
education. The GASTPE law, ECCD law, Governance of Basic Education Act, ALS Program,
Adopt-a-School Program, and the Brigada Eskwela Program include provisions for government
partnership with these private institutions and organizations. This paper focuses on the Education
Service Contracting (ESC) provision of the GASTPE law.
12. Has the presence of privately managed schools affected (increased or decreased) your
union membership?
Yes, increased
Yes, decreased
No impact, it stayed the same
No direct impact, it changed but because of other factors
Please, explain your
response_____________________________________________________
13. Does your union represent teachers and staff in privately managed schools in your
country?
Yes
No
Don’t know
If yes, please give some details _____________________________________________
14. Do you know if another union in your country represents teachers and staff in privately
managed schools?
Yes
No
Don’t know
If yes, please give some details _____________________________________________
RESPONSE OF YOUR UNION TO PRIVATIZATION
15. Does your organization have a policy on privatization in education?
8
Yes
No
Don't know
If yes, please describe and provide any documentation
Based on our general program of Action (2013-2015), a call in Filipino “Labanan ang PublicPrivate-Partnership at iba pang tipo ng privatization ni PNoy sa edukasyon. Labanan ang TOFI at
ibayong komersyalisasyon ng edukasyon.”, which means that our organizaion will Oppose PublicPrivate Partnership and other forms of privatization in education under the Aquino
administration. Oppose TOFI (tuition and other fee increases) and commercialization of
education.
We have several public statements and lobbying/mobilizations regarding this matter an
example of which follows:
TEACHERS PROTEST PERRENIAL PROBLEMS IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM
Unresolved!
Teachers and parents are dismayed with the recurring problems in our education system that our
government disregards.
“The government concocts policies and programs that never solve the main problem. The Aquino
government implemented the K to 12 or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 (R.A.
10533)despite the fact that shortages still exist,” Mr. Benjamin Valbuena, ACT Chairperson said.
“Balik-eskwela, balik problema at mas lumalalang problema.”Mr. Valbuena added.
Almost 23.9 million enrollees will troop to school today, June 3, 2013. Again they will encounter the
perennial problems of our education system that is unresolved up to now by the Aquino
government.
President Aquino boasts that he is a “pro-education” advocate but it doesn’t show. Still there are
shortages of classrooms: 32,644, teachers: 46,567, chairs: 2,500,000, textbooks: 60 million and
water & sanitation facilities: 80,937. These are the basic needs of our education system. Instead of
addressing these problems on a social service which is education, the government allocates higher
budget for Debt Servicing.
Since 2001 until now, 2013, the government repeatedly violated what the UNESCO set as
international standard for education budget, which should be at least 6% of the GDP of the country.
This is what our government allocated to the education sector:
Year
DepEd
budget
2001
90B
2002
105B
2003
106B
2004
110B
2005
112B
2006
122B
2007
137B
2008
149B
2009
174B
2010
175B
2011
207B
2012
238B
9
2013
P295B
% share of
Deped
Budget to
GDP
2.5%
2.8%
2.5%
2.3%
2.1%
2.0%
2.1%
2.0%
2.3%
2.8%
2.6%
2.3%
According to the ACT TEACHERS Party-list, it is ideal that every barangay should have at least one
high school. Citing Deped figures, there were only 7,268 public high schools throughout the country
in 2011 compared to 38,351public elementary schools. This shows that there is one public high
school for every five elementary schools which therefore imply that 4.6 million children cannot enter
high school. This then becomes part of the 6.24 million out-of-school youth in our country.
“ Instead of building new schools to help solve the problem of the out-of-school youth, the Aquino
government increased the budget of Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private
Education (GASTPE,” Mr. Valbuena commented. He urged the Aquino administration prioritize
education as an important social service and allot the needed budget for this. #####
16. Does your union have specific strategies for organizing within privately managed schools?
Yes
No
Don’t know
If yes, please explain or provide specific documentation
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
17. Does your union have specific strategy for negotiating with private providers of
education?
Yes
No
Don’t know
If yes, please explain or provide specific documentation
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
18. Does your union employ any of the following strategies in relation to privatization of
education in your country?
10
2.5%
Advocacy efforts for government policy changes at local, regional, national levels
Organizing teachers and other staff in individual privately managed schools
Building coalitions with community and parent organizations to oppose increased privatization
Legal actions to challenge private providers
Other strategies
Please describe
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
19. Have you been successful in defeating or halting privatization initiatives in the last five
years?
Please, list up to three examples
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
20. What privatization initiatives have you fought against or are still fighting without success?
Please, list up to three examples
*the voucher system
*hiring of teachers by local governments who receiveds lesser pay/benefits than nationallyhired public school teachers
*hiring of contractual teachers
Thank you for filling the questionnaire!
Please return it by email to Guntars Catlaks, EI Senior research coordinator
Guntars.catlaks@ei-ie.org
11