Arroyo starts campaign for 11-year public education setup

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo wants the basic public education setup stretched from 10 to 11 years, with students starting at a one-year preschool before going through six years of elementary and four years of high school. According to a Malacañang statement issued on Friday, Arroyo unveiled her campaign for the new setup during a visit to the Antonio Maceda Integrated School in Sta. Mesa, Manila, where she was accompanied by Education Secretary Jesli Lapus and Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim. In another meeting, a private one with local education officials, she explained that she preferred putting an extra year at the start rather than in high school, as many have been clamoring for, to give parents a chance to take part in their own children's education. "Parents need their children to work with them right away," she said. The five-year-olds would then become “preschool graduates" to boost their chances of survival if they should shift to private schools. She said she would request Congress to pass the necessary law. To prepare children for the extra year, day-care center teachers should be trained to teach their wards how to read the alphabet and how to count. - GMANews.TV