RP EFA; too good to be true

The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) adopted in 2000, and in Dakar Senegal the six education for all (EFA) goals-of which the Philippines had pledged to meet by 2015. And here they are:

• expanded early childhood care and education;
• free and compulsory education for all;
• learning any life skills for young people and adults;
• increase in adult literacy by 50 percent;
• gender parity by 2005 and gender equality by 2015;
• improved quality of education.

Grandiose as it may seem. Colossal as it appear. Utter overstatement, it is. Well, we don't trivialize the government's capacity and its resources to attain these goals around the country. What dazzles us was the epic proportion of it.

Take the second goal as an example. Education at present although free - through the subsidy of the local government - is yet to be actually compelled. The fact is that many were not able to attend primary education even it is free. It may be attributed to the rampant child labor, social discrimination, accessibility of the school, or if there really is which means availability of the school in the community.

Quality control has to be done if the government wishes to attain the Millennium Development Goal. But what happened just recently is the very manifestation of having past actions deviating with statement of promises.

Antonio Calipjo-Go, a Marian Academic Supervisor, who crusaded against "sick books containing as much as 950 factual and 550 typographical errors" in a history book in 1999 had threw in the towel. In frustration, he said "nothing has changed. I am fighting an uphill battle that leads to nowhere."

To fight malnutrition is equally synonymous with fighting ignorance. But, feeding programs had become a corrupt practice in the officialdom. Heard the noodles scam? The noodles which are said to have egg to improve nutritional value had been found out that no such ingredient has been observed. Alas, since it is said to have one, the price has rocketed to somehow cover the added nutritional content and well, maybe kickbacks from the fraudulent bidding. In other words, the supposed effort to ward off malnutrition has been tainted with corruption.

Corruption has indeed becomes the big-C in the government corridors. Now, as it metastasize into all departments (DepED, no exemption); shame is to the teachers who sell tocino, insurance, bra, etc. to augment their salary; pity to the students whose stomach and minds were empty; mud, a handful of it is to the Millennium Development Goal-Education for All agreement.

And the economy is flinching. Investors are being invited abroad courtesy from the resident in the Palace. But most likely, the frequent power outages, terrorism and crime will ward them off. It really what irony is all about. The grueling global financial downturn is also making its toll here and now. Then, where will the government source its fund to attain the goal?

Other ASEAN neighbor countries however are on-track on it. Shame is on us, Filipinos for a turtle-paced progress. Or is there really "progress" even how innate? I know not.