Ka Leody bares plans on education reform, other youth issues

Presidential candidate Leody de Guzman on Sunday issued his policy platforms for youth issues focusing on education reform, and students' rights.

One of de Guzman’s major points in his agenda is the Universal Students’ Magna Carta, which asserts 13 “unalienable rights that shall be the basis of state policy” on campus life and activities.

Among the 13 rights in the Magna Carta are absolute and unconditional academic freedom; the right to organize and spaces for organizing; access to free, quality, and accessible education; right to SOGIE equality and anti-discrimination; and the right to be safe and secure from state security forces’ surveillance, harassment, and violence.

“Hindi lang dapat ligtas at malayang espasyo ang mga pamantasan, kundi dapat maging balwarte ng kritikal na pagsusuri tungo sa pagpapaunlad ng lipunan,” he said in a statement.

(Schools should not only be safe and free spaces, but they must also be a bulwark of critical analysis towards the development of society.)

De Guzman also underscored policies for the COVID-19 situation, including public funding of schools’ retrofitting costs for a safe return to face-to-face classes, and subsidizing the required utilities for distance learning such as gadgets and Internet connections.

It also includes sweeping reforms to school curricula to include sexual health education, labor rights, and climate science, as well as a general reorientation from global marketability to national development.

Out-of-school youth were also included in the agenda with policies proposed for improving the skill and capacity-building programs of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

‘Pagbabagong nararapat’

De Guzman also bared plans for better social subsidies for the youth and state-guaranteed full employment for fresh graduates and young workers.

The agenda also mentioned making campuses more accessible for persons with disability (PWD) students and establishing protections against sexual harassment and discrimination.

“Ang kabataan ay hindi simpleng pag-asa ng bayan sa hinaharap, Ngayon pa lang ay makikitaan na sila ng kapasidad para baguhin at magambag sa pamayanan tungo sa isang progresibo, malaya at maunlad na lipunan,” de Guzman said.

(The youth are not simply the people's hope for the future. Right now, we could see them having the capacity to change and contribute to the community towards a progressive, independent, and prosperous society.)

“Sila ang tagapagmana ng lipunan kaya’t malaking bahagi ng aking plataporma ay para sa paggawa, kalikasan, klima at pampulitikang reporma. Kailangan natin ihawan ang landas para sa pagbabagong nararapat para sa kanila,” he added.

(The youth are the heirs of society so a big part of my platform is for labor, nature, climate, and political reform. We need to pave the way for the change they deserve.)

De Guzman thanked youth leaders and activists who were part of the consultation process for his agenda and those who joined his campaign’s youth arm called “Kabataan para kay Ka Leody.”

His camp said they would release a separate agenda for the education sector, including de Guzman’s platform for teaching professionals. — DVM, GMA News