tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14974164.post114873604333450692..comments2023-10-20T21:46:49.945+08:00Comments on Philippine Commentary: Rizal Day Should Be In June, Not DecemberDeany Bocobohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01443168826029321831noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14974164.post-1149471279567351002006-06-05T09:34:00.000+08:002006-06-05T09:34:00.000+08:00Welcome Senor Enrique!Yes, that the Spanish Langua...Welcome Senor Enrique!<BR/><BR/>Yes, that the Spanish Language was not gifted to us, was perhaps our greatest loss during those centuries, our worst deprivation!<BR/><BR/>Imagine if in the 1500s and 1600s, Spain had brought and shared with the indios her culture, her tongue. If throughout that long era we were already developing our Rizals and Cervanteses, our Nerudas, it wouldn't even have mattered that we were being exploited. For then the stars of dreams and the seeds of hope would already have been implanted, and in their ultimate flowering, there would also surely have come catharsis and gratitude toward Mother Spain. <BR/><BR/>I doubt very much that we would be Norte Americanos, as we are today, if we WERE Spanish speaking already for three centuries. <BR/><BR/>We are bound to the Anglosphere in ways that Spain can never claim or recover or even now establish. It's too late. we are irrevocably Norte Americanos now, with a cute accent and our own fate and destiny.Deany Bocobohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01443168826029321831noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14974164.post-1149470029496057192006-06-05T09:13:00.000+08:002006-06-05T09:13:00.000+08:00Come to think of it, you're right! Rizal Day ough...Come to think of it, you're right! Rizal Day ought to be in June -- with the nation celebrating his great contributions.<BR/><BR/>As for education, when coming home to Manila after spending many years abroad, I was appalled to meet some public high school senior students who were unable to utter comfotably simple sentences in English. They're definitely at at a disadvantage compared to private school graduates with confident command of the English language. I'm reminded so much of Rizal's intense desire to have Spanish taught to every Filipino.Señor Enriquehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15110290769417627313noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14974164.post-1149139757980112692006-06-01T13:29:00.000+08:002006-06-01T13:29:00.000+08:00"Why can't we hold a public bidding for who gets 1..."Why can't we hold a public bidding for who gets 120 billion pesos?"---Honestly, im not yet sure about it. if the soldiers and cops couldn't get the bad guys, are we supposed to bid out national security and police work to israeli mercenaries, and ex-navy seals? would ateneo which is charging 67,000 pesos per semester per child be willing to admit the boy from payatas who cant even afford a meal? you may have noticed that the ateneo or lasalle doesnt offer much science disciplines needed for national development? privatization is cute, im for it; but i havent seen any working model for education globally. maybe i lack data here. deped certainly has lots of problems; well, its the problem. lets have a deep look at it the way you are doing now. some recommendations are nice at the abstract level, but the devil is always in the detail and i want to see those details before well close down public schools and start calling in the jesuits.Dave Lloritohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13592787212335457164noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14974164.post-1149124759380149132006-06-01T09:19:00.000+08:002006-06-01T09:19:00.000+08:00Economies of scale? Hmm, let me see. Let the educa...Economies of scale? Hmm, let me see. Let the education metric be one contact hour per student per week. This is usually how matriculation fees are computed. <BR/>Yes there is scope for economies of scale - teachers (by raising the student:teacher ratio), facilities (raising the students:facilities ratio, where facilities = classroom, library, playground, auditorium, ...) <BR/><BR/>I doubt though whether the economies of scale would be significant. This deserves more careful study though. <BR/><BR/>Suppose government production of education is removed but the subsidy remains the same. I would think that, since the government is underproviding quality, the private sector would on average provide better quality education. This would likely come at a higher price. So out-of-pocket cost on average goes up. In the long run though this price increase would pay for itself through higher wages. <BR/><BR/>The challenge though would be to redesign the subsidy scheme so that the poorest would end up with more subsidy, while the nonpoor or even less poor would end up with less subsidy. Then the fixed subsidy pie (120 billion) is cut up in a better way.Roehlanohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04018109135738021378noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14974164.post-1149111311471901902006-06-01T05:35:00.000+08:002006-06-01T05:35:00.000+08:00Econblogger,Education was not devolved precisely b...Econblogger,<BR/><BR/>Education was not devolved precisely because of the "hidden subsidy" that Dean was talking about - their role in our electoral exercises.<BR/><BR/>When the 1991 Local Government Code was being crafted education was really being considered for devolution, but lawmakers had a change of heart because teachers count the votes at the precinct level during elections.<BR/><BR/>Unless our elections are fully automated, which should have been a long time ago, Congress will not dare devolve education to local governments. The downside is having a centrally managed system that is plainly unmanageable because of its sheer size and resource requirements.Willy B Prilles, Jrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17030727018693421995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14974164.post-1149091895938973282006-06-01T00:11:00.000+08:002006-06-01T00:11:00.000+08:00My thoughts are similar with those of Econoblogger...My thoughts are similar with those of Econoblogger’s comments above, and these observations are based on actual discourses and experiences, though grudgingly stated, here in the US.<BR/><BR/>The Department of Education was a statewide agency before it was converted into a Federal agency several administrations past. Test scores have plummeted since while expenses soared. Thus, states make a better job at education<BR/><BR/>Secondly, the raging controversy in education here right now is the issue of school vouchers. And it is a controversy still only because the national teachers’ union is a very strong and rich political lobby group that will not allow its power and reach to be diminished. Again, in areas where school vouchers have been allowed, results have been more than promising. The system simply allows the parents of students the choice which school to put the allocated per capita expense – whether to a public or private school. Thus, no need for extra funding and definitely, no added layer of bureaucracy.Amadeohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00040096079637569742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14974164.post-1149091092763908182006-05-31T23:58:00.000+08:002006-05-31T23:58:00.000+08:00Econblogger,I agree with devolution but the centra...Econblogger,<BR/>I agree with devolution but the centralized nature of the deped is driven by political necessity. <BR/><BR/>Regarding school vouchers, there is already a multi billion peso program compoonent tha tputs public school students in private schools at P4000 per head. <BR/><BR/>But I think the very interesting concept is that public schools warp the economics of pricing education in the private sector. <BR/><BR/>Do you think the idea of economies of scale has merit? Would private school tuitions go up or down if their enrollments were ten times their current levels? Some administrators I've talked to say it should go down if the schools manage the income right and make the right investments.Deany Bocobohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01443168826029321831noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14974164.post-1149090448708393092006-05-31T23:47:00.000+08:002006-05-31T23:47:00.000+08:00hb,The teaching force is divided up according to s...hb,<BR/>The teaching force is divided up according to subject area. Tomorrow am going to post on the Basic Education curriculum, which determines the makeup of the teachers. lately there has been a proliferation of subjects, congesting the curriculum, but generating employment opportunities galore for all kinds of teachers in various subjects. It's endless...despite the recommendations for curricula to be decongested.<BR/><BR/>It's all needed of course in a real education system. I just don't want the govt in charge of it anymore. They've royally screwed it all up for over a century. It's time to move over and give the private sector a chance to do it. <BR/><BR/>All those high tech bloggers even and cell phone whiz kids...heck P100 billion would just about buy one $100 laptop for each of our 20,000,000 students! Might be a better way to spend the money!Deany Bocobohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01443168826029321831noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14974164.post-1149089490410783002006-05-31T23:31:00.000+08:002006-05-31T23:31:00.000+08:00Dean,There's nothing wrong with employing 300 to 4...Dean,<BR/><BR/>There's nothing wrong with employing 300 to 400 thousand teachers but the question remains - the quality of teachers and the ratio! Simply staggering.<BR/><BR/>No teacher can impart learning for a measly 4 hours every day to a group of 50 pupils which if she's lucky only half are not hungry. <BR/><BR/>You are right! There is an education design problem here. There is no way you can produce a strong educated population with that kind of learning scheme... no way.<BR/><BR/>You have to re-design the entire teaching and learning concept -overhaul the entire education architecture. <BR/><BR/>As I've said and I've seen this lots of times in the Middle East where hubby's company employs a vast number of Pinoy technicians holding PI engineering degrees who unfortunately have to be re-trained to become engineers (because they are still short in terms of real engineering know how and skills): Pinoys have a natural capacity and a great aptitude for learning but teaching must be dispensed properly.<BR/><BR/>My hubby (a nuclear engineer) says that he would rather take and re-train 2 Pinoy technicians to become engineers than take on say 10 Sri Lankan, Indonesian or Pakistani "engineers" coz Pinoys are easy to teach and learn quickly!HILLBLOGGERhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05977843513566589811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14974164.post-1149086700863356162006-05-31T22:45:00.000+08:002006-05-31T22:45:00.000+08:00HB,There is no doubt that big time corruption occu...HB,<BR/>There is no doubt that big time corruption occurs at Deped. But don't forget the numbers show one undeniable thing: P100 billion of the P119 billion will actually go to salaries. Most of that won't be stolen because people depend on it. However, the MOOE and capital expense portions are definitely a source of graft, both to Deped and DPWH and many other govt agencies that benefit. But even textbooks, the budget is a measly 1B. <BR/><BR/>There is just something inherently wrong with this that goes beyond corruption. It is a DESIGN and conceptual problem. While lip service is paid to education, what we really are buying is teacher employment. P100 billion worth of it.Deany Bocobohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01443168826029321831noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14974164.post-1149085138208267432006-05-31T22:18:00.000+08:002006-05-31T22:18:00.000+08:00I just re-read the news report on taray enkantada'...I just re-read the news report on taray enkantada's dressing down of Hidalgo:<BR/><BR/>1 classroom for 100 students?<BR/>or 50 students per shift? Jeez! 50 pupils in one class for a 4 hour learning period in the day? That's a joke!<BR/><BR/>Ugh! That is absolutely killing not only for teachers but also for the pupîls/students! <BR/><BR/>How can you dispense quality education with that kind of ratio?<BR/><BR/>What can 50 pupils learn in a half (morning or afternoon) learning session? Very little! Moreover, there's what... 10 or 11 years of a combined primary and secondary education ONLY? Gosh, it's worse than what I thought. There can be NO quality education given that kind of learning system.<BR/><BR/>I thought school kids should go to school at least till mid-afternoon! What do they do the rest of the time? Watch TV? Ugh!HILLBLOGGERhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05977843513566589811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14974164.post-1149082969983301762006-05-31T21:42:00.000+08:002006-05-31T21:42:00.000+08:00Dean,The problem in the Philippines is NOT private...Dean,<BR/><BR/>The problem in the Philippines is NOT private or public school education - the problem you have is your system, it's friggin absolutely gobsmacking CORRUPT!<BR/><BR/>The Dept of Education is ONE of the most CORRUPT departments in the country (100% kickbacks). Unless you clean it up, you will always have substandard education across the board!<BR/><BR/>How on earth can you expect to build school rooms, buy equipment, provide good teaching when the money is being paid into the private pockets of Dept Ed civil servants? <BR/><BR/>The friggin money should go to the education of STUDENTS and not in their pockets! Haven't they got that yet in the Philippines?<BR/><BR/>100 + billion pesos in education? Dean, that's a heck of a good budget for a 3rd world nation! <BR/><BR/>But we do know that at least 35 to 40% of that 100 billion pesos go to Dept Ed civil servants - that's goddamn LOTS of money taken out of the budget! How on earth can you build classrooms, provide euqipment, continuing education for teachers, etc. if the budget is always short in the end?<BR/><BR/>Dean, you have enough budget for a good start! <BR/><BR/>What you need to do is to tell those goddamn bogus, pseudo educators in the Dept Edu and in this friggin govt who are taking kickbacks, stealing the money from the backs of our burdened teachers to beat it! <BR/><BR/>So you can have better spending money for the education of your poor people!<BR/><BR/>Kickbacks, corruption, etc is what is killing education in the Philippines Dean not the exorbitant fees in private schools!HILLBLOGGERhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05977843513566589811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14974164.post-1149077760122832872006-05-31T20:16:00.000+08:002006-05-31T20:16:00.000+08:00Two possible reforms: 1. Devolution - devolve all ...Two possible reforms: <BR/><BR/>1. Devolution - devolve all schools to the local governments. Why the heck wasn't this function devolved in the first place, anyway? <BR/><BR/>2. Privatization (advocated by Philippine Commentary) - Replace the government-production system with the government-provision system through school vouchers, where benefits decrease with household per capita income. This way everybody becomes Iskolar ng Bayan, freedom of choice is maintained, and those that can afford education, must. <BR/><BR/>If no. 2 is too radical, we can always start with no. 1.Roehlanohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04018109135738021378noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14974164.post-1149066607009306552006-05-31T17:10:00.000+08:002006-05-31T17:10:00.000+08:00Lord, Taking off on the old idea of "bureaucrat ca...Lord, <BR/>Taking off on the old idea of "bureaucrat capitalism" -- just think of Deped as DEPED INC., a company whose monopoly is enforced by law and whose budget is really none of its doing--it just arrives year in year out, bigger every year than the year before!<BR/><BR/>Now what company has it so easy in the private sector? <BR/><BR/>My basic thesis is that if people treat the govt like one of the possible service providers for their collective needs, and compare them with the possible competition, maybe we wouldn't be so eager to give 120 billion pesos to the gang of 400,000!<BR/><BR/>ALL the personnel at Deped are largely unnecessary to the concerns of a school -- a REAL school -- out in the sticks of Mindanao or on top of a mountain in the Cordillera, whose needs are probably best provided by a suitably connected private school run by priests and nuns!<BR/><BR/>One advantage of going private is that there would be no more shyness about "character and religious" education. <BR/><BR/>Though the latter could be the basis of a fresh objection to privatization -- that we could not guarantee equal education across religious faiths, since Catholics would naturally have an advantage.Deany Bocobohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01443168826029321831noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14974164.post-1149064071601912782006-05-31T16:27:00.000+08:002006-05-31T16:27:00.000+08:00Regarding 'centralization' one cruel aspect is the...Regarding 'centralization' one cruel aspect is the fact that building projects may only be given to DPWH for completion. It's a built in payment of the government to itself, which however results in massive corruption, inefficiency, and the perennial shortage of school facilities. That is one example of a built in flaw to a system that accepts the government and its agencies are the MAIN education providers of a population. This has nothing to do with academics, but only with economics. Yet in results in the depressed state of education. <BR/><BR/>Thus it goes beyond the honesty and sincerity of teachers and administrators, even on the local level.<BR/><BR/>If we assume that it is a good thing for the govt to be in charge of education, we really have to establish that its agencies are the best providers for the component materials, services and personnel utilized for educating the public.<BR/><BR/>Are school buildings best supplied by the DPWH? Are textbooks best made by government-appointed boards or selected publishers? Is our money best spent on the gang in Pasig, and every other govt agency that gets portions of the Deped budget?Deany Bocobohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01443168826029321831noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14974164.post-1149061766117550712006-05-31T15:49:00.000+08:002006-05-31T15:49:00.000+08:00How much do we spend per student? (I say 'we' beca...How much do we spend per student? (I say 'we' because that's our money.) If we can figure that out, maybe we can get that money directly to the students in the form of cash vouchers that they can use to enroll in whichever school they want, public or private. Private schools can then compete fairly with the public schools for the 120 billion.<BR/><BR/>Is the budget submitted to Congress on a 'per student' basis, or is it based on the needs of the bureaucracy?Jegohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11806891595153451306noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14974164.post-1149060929948660772006-05-31T15:35:00.000+08:002006-05-31T15:35:00.000+08:00Cohort survival is an access indicator Dean. And m...Cohort survival is an access indicator Dean. And most often, it is the poorer students that drop out of the cohort in the supposedly "free" public school system of ours.<BR/><BR/>I think my point is clear: privatizing education will erect barriers to access, the economies of scale notwithstanding. In such a situation, you can expect cohort survival to further worsen. And society will suffer all the more.<BR/><BR/>On the other hand, I agree with you on the quality issue, that is why it is critical to exact accountability from the main service provider, which is DepEd. And in the absence of better alternatives, a national testing scheme done annually is the practical way to do it.<BR/><BR/>Up to what extent should government get involved in education? In Naga, we create additional classes so long as there is demand and justification (e.g., the target class size of 45 and 40 for high school and elementary, respectively) for it. But the highly centralized structure is giving me fits. <BR/><BR/>If education were decentralized to the city government, I am confident we will do a much better job because (1) we will test both private and public schools, and use results to reward good performance; and (2) if private schools are indeed doing a better job, we are willing to redirect excess enrolment in public schools to private to use their excess capacity instead of building new ones; and (3) we will bid out contracts for alternative learning classes to NGOs and the private sector that will capture dropouts from the formal school system.<BR/><BR/>But that can only happen if we assume control of the public school system, and that is not to the liking of both the national and local DepEd who still mostly see us as "meddlers."Willy B Prilles, Jrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17030727018693421995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14974164.post-1149057115244868442006-05-31T14:31:00.000+08:002006-05-31T14:31:00.000+08:00Without Borders,The simple question really is this...Without Borders,<BR/>The simple question really is this: If we are going to spend 120 billion pesos or so on "education" in 2006, who says it ought to be spent on that gang of 400,000 in Pasig??<BR/><BR/>My point is, there are many other organizations, including corporations and private schools that ought to get some of that money, because we the public might just get something more out of it than what we have been: cellar-dweller performance by the kids.<BR/><BR/>Why is is automatic that we give 90% of the budget to the members of the National Teachers Union and the bureaucrats that have made a life's career in the bureaucracy of Deped?<BR/><BR/>Just think of Deped as a special lil company that holds the monopoly on a P120 billion peso a year industry called education. <BR/><BR/>Why can't we hold a public bidding for who gets 120 billion pesos?Deany Bocobohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01443168826029321831noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14974164.post-1149056643655116552006-05-31T14:24:00.000+08:002006-05-31T14:24:00.000+08:00"I guess what I am saying is, YES let's buy ALL th..."I guess what I am saying is, YES let's buy ALL the education we can afford. But why stick to this one vendor that has delivered a crappy product since time immemorial??"<BR/><BR/>Could you please be specific by citing an example of countries doing this? My own take is that those billions are lost due to crowded curricula, too many teachers teaching crap, and not enough teaching materials and classrooms. If one streamlines curricula to the barest minimum, the the really ones that matter, you do away with crappy subjects being taught by stupid teachers. then you got lots of savings to improve elementary and secondary education. and maybe, with that savings, you could attract bright kids into the teaching profession. A P16,000 per month salary (basic) for teachers for instance (not really big money) would do a lot to attract bright young people the way call centers and BPO firms are having them now.Dave Lloritohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13592787212335457164noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14974164.post-1149055758002556152006-05-31T14:09:00.000+08:002006-05-31T14:09:00.000+08:00MB: No one seems to disagree on the goal. All of u...MB: No one seems to disagree on the goal. All of us are against ignorance. But HOW do we get the job done in the reality of the Philippine archipelago in the here and now?<BR/><BR/>Is the govt the best vehicle for it? Is "free public education" really free at P119.5 billion thrown away into a futile enterprise. <BR/><BR/>Are we not maybe merely salving our conscience and covering up mental laziness by saying, "We are not spending enough!" Then wring our hands when nothing happens and the kids just fail all the tests miserably. Not that testing is good for its own sake. But it does tell us something about what we are getting for the money.<BR/><BR/>I guess what I am saying is, YES let's buy ALL the education we can afford. But why stick to this one vendor that has delivered a crappy product since time immemorial??Deany Bocobohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01443168826029321831noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14974164.post-1149046442732656582006-05-31T11:34:00.000+08:002006-05-31T11:34:00.000+08:00hb,Not too worry..am about to tackle also the Curr...hb,<BR/>Not too worry..am about to tackle also the Curriculum of the Public Schools. It's atrocious and congested and there will be many examples of violation of the Principle of Separation of Church and State. <BR/><BR/>DAVE -- Yes indeed, but a HEALTY mix is needed. The public schools here are CROWDING out the private schools, forcing them to charge exorbitant rates. It's part of our split level society, since the rich can afford to send their kids to private school. I guess for them it also keeps the riff-raff out!<BR/><BR/>But I think the private religious corporations would love to serve a much BIGGER market.Deany Bocobohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01443168826029321831noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14974164.post-1149045915428570622006-05-31T11:25:00.000+08:002006-05-31T11:25:00.000+08:00Welcome to Philippine Commentary Willy. I guess I ...Welcome to Philippine Commentary Willy. I guess I don't understand your objection. The cohort completion rate certainly leaves something to be desired. But what does that have to do with the wisdom of "free" public schools? In some ways a "free" public school means we are already "paying" people to go to school. Yet the drop out rates are, as you point out too high for comfort. <BR/><BR/>I would suggest that the data abundantly prove the people are not getting P120 billion pesos worth of education. Teachers are getting their salaries but that's about it. <BR/><BR/>I do agree with you on "decentralization" but the main question is this: How much should the government be involved in education at all?? I would say it should be responsible only for what it can do well. Which is almost nothing, but it is not nothing. It is not however, 90% of the whole burden.Deany Bocobohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01443168826029321831noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14974164.post-1149045572609831292006-05-31T11:19:00.000+08:002006-05-31T11:19:00.000+08:00in reality, a country's educational system should ...in reality, a country's educational system should be a combination of private and public. and it should be very competitive by opening the country's educ system to foreign presence, 100 percent. as to subsidy to private sector, im not comfortable about it. money is scarce; its better used in improving primary education. then we should allow stiff competition in tertiary education.Dave Lloritohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13592787212335457164noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14974164.post-1149042265832279752006-05-31T10:24:00.000+08:002006-05-31T10:24:00.000+08:00I beg to disaggree, Dean. Privatizing education wi...I beg to disaggree, Dean. Privatizing education will only worsen the problem.<BR/><BR/>Consider the following data: In the current scheme where basic education is supposed to be free, DepEd data shows that of every 100 that enters Grade I, only 66 eventually finishes Grade VI and 43 graduates from high school. That's already a very high ratio of non-completers. Even if economies of scale can theoretically bring down tuition, there will still be tuition to be paid and it will all the more exacerbate the situation.<BR/><BR/>My take is to decentralize education to cities and provinces, and make their elected officials accountable for education outcomes. Elections, ideally, should be decided among others on whether mayors and governors have been able to improve test scores (testing and quality assurance mandates should remain with DepEd) within their locality.<BR/><BR/>By the way, we've been experimenting on these in Naga City, but the centralist tendencies in the DepEd is proving to be a tough nut to crack.Willy B Prilles, Jrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17030727018693421995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14974164.post-1149041000792615762006-05-31T10:03:00.000+08:002006-05-31T10:03:00.000+08:00Dean,A nota bene: medical and law schools which ar...Dean,<BR/><BR/>A nota bene: medical and law schools which are usually very expensive schools elsewhere are for free in France. A medical or a law student DOESN'T pay for his education here - there are no tuition fees in French medical or law schools. Taxpayers' money is what pays for our medical and law students' schooling.<BR/><BR/>So, perhaps Filipinos should start learning French to get admiited into French universities! <BR/><BR/>The education department in France has the highest cut of the state budget and is the BIGGEST employer in the country followed closely by the health department and really, that's what all governments should strive to do for its citizens.HILLBLOGGERhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05977843513566589811noreply@blogger.com