John Clements Vies for English as Medium of Education
by Rocky Peltzman

On May 3, 2005, John Clements Consultants, Inc. Carol Dominguez and ESL Consultant Rocky Peltzman participated in the Batasan Basic Education and Culture Subcommittee’s deliberation on the bills proposed to change the official medium of education. The committee, under the chairmanship of Congressman Edmundo O. Reyes, Jr., is debating the use of English only, Filipino only, or both languages.

Rocky Peltzman spoke of the need to change the medium to English only (excluding the teaching of the Filipino language), suggested adding one hour per week for conversational English, and retraining English teachers in the use of small-group communicative methodology for the English classroom. Rocky stated the low acceptance rate (1-3%) of voice call applicants at call centers and the immediate need to raise oral English proficiency in order to funnel good speakers into the call center and BPO industries.

Amcham Representative Bambina Buenaventura explained their pro-bilingual stance. The president of the Federation of PTAs stated that they support an English-only policy. Other resource persons and approximately half of the Congress people sitting in on the deliberation supported a Filipino-only policy, with the others opting for the pro-English suggestion.

The committee members will ask all committee members to vote in a referendum before sending it on to a plenary session.