Educators’ Forum for Development
2018 Midyear Birdtalk: Illusory Growth, Emergent Authoritarianism
August 12, 2018
Download here Two years into the Duterte administration, the Philippine economy’s gains are illusory and the political situation is on the brink of accelerated decline. The economy is on borrowed time. There is a limit to how long the government’s infrastructure spending frenzy and hype about sound fundamentals can disguise the problems. Agricultural and industrial […]
From one invader to another (Excerpt from History of the Filipino People – Challenges and Responses to Nationhood)
June 13, 2018
On June 12, 1898, Philippine independence was declared in a ceremony in Kawit, Cavite. For the first time, the national flag made by Marcela Agoncillo in Hongkong was raised, while the bands played Marcha National Filipina written by Julian Felipe. Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista wrote and read the Declaration of Independence. Aguinaldo announced the separation of […]
Global market-focused education wastes potential of Filipino labor — EFD
May 1, 2018
Filipino educators urge the Duterte government and all stakeholders to mark this year’s International Labor Day as a reminder of the importance of workers and human resources in achieving the country’s development, and how this can be guided only through a nationalist and progressive education system. The Educators’Forum for Development (EFD), a voluntary association of […]
What You Need to Know About Charter Change and its Possible Effects on the Education Sector
April 4, 2018
By Jose Lorenzo Lim (In a series of articles, IBON tackles proposals to amend the 1987 Philippine Constitution*, focusing on social and economic provisions. These touch on agrarian reform for industrialization, and full foreign ownership and control of Philippine lands and natural resources including agricultural lands, public utilities, labor rights, educational institutions and mass media. […]
The IBON 2018 Planner: Why Support Community Schools?
December 22, 2017
Society is their book; and the people, their teachers The Save Our Schools Network (SOS) unites right to education advocates supporting community-established Mindanao schools. The schools have been under attack by State forces resulting in various civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights violations against children, their teachers and families. During the first-ever national conference […]
Ensure free tuition as a major first step: Support right to education by improving, expanding public schools–EFD
August 9, 2017
A network of teachers for transformative education said that the signing of the free tuition bill into law is a welcome major first step in realizing education as a right and should be ensured by government as a priority. Improving and expanding the public university system is however as important, said the group, as is […]
Gov’t urged to keep Lumad schoolchildren safe, order military to leave schools alone (Letter to Editors)
August 4, 2017
We, members of the Educators’ Forum for Development, are alarmed at Pres. Rodrigo Duterte’s order to “bomb Lumad schools”. The administration also staunchly defends the extension of Martial Lawin Mindanao which has further disrupted Lumad schools. The safety of the Lumad schoolchildren will only be secured with the immediate withdrawal of the military from […]
DepEd streamlining of Grade 10 Social Studies ignores democracy, governance lessons–EFD
July 5, 2017
Transformative education advocates belonging to the Educators Forum for Development (EFD) expressed concern about the Department of Education’s (DepEd) latest Contemporary Issues curriculum revision. The measure effectively removes topics pertinent to students’ grasp of and attitude towards issues that have been afflicting Philippine society until now, the group said. The DepEd released an April 21, […]
Amid upped military operations, educators reiterate call to save IP schools
March 23, 2017
In the aftermath of the Fourth Mindanao-Wide Conference of the Save our Schools (SOS) Network, transformative education group Educators Forum for Development (EfD) said that the Duterte administration should stop continuing attacks against indigenous people (IP)’s alternative schools. The EfD echoed calls by the SOS Network for military troops to halt operations in and pull […]
