Like his predecessors who were former politicians, he was welcomed by the teachers and DepEd staff with mixed reactions. While many of his fellow legislators like Senator Recto think that the "education sector can be fixed by a problem-solver with a good track record," the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) and the DepEd Union and other teachers’ groups were not that optimistic. But apparently, Lapus was able to overcome the latter’s objection which was eventually withdrawn after a compromise agreement.

In his dialogue with members of the DepEd Union, he agreed to their demands which included the promotion of transparency in program implementation, giving priority to the rights of employees and continuing programs started by previous secretaries, and ensuring the independence of the department from politics. Dean Jorge Bocobo, quoting Lapus in an interview on Korina Today, stated, "it is ironic that people used to tell him that he wouldn’t do well in politics because he was such a technocrat. Now, they say he won’t be any good in Education because he is such a politician." Nonetheless, with his record as a legislator (he was chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee where he championed the rights of public school teachers), and his effective management of the Land Bank, we can say that he had successfully straddled the world of politics and business. Now, he has to prove that he can do as well in education.

His achievements as a congressman will make it easy for him to get the nod of the Commission on Appointments, according to Recto who cited Lapus’ concern for teachers whom he "liberated" from loan sharks. He immersed himself in the public school system in his district and probably visited more public schools than a desk-bound bureaucrat, he continued. Senator Mar Roxas sees as one of Lapus’ strong points that of understanding how the budget process works.

In addition to managing a department with half a million employees, Lapus faces the challenge of turning around a bureaucracy with limited resources — a budget of R119 billion, R101 B of which is allocated for salaries. In addition, there is the perennial lack of basic infrastructure, classrooms, supply of water and electricity, books and other instructional materials. As he already knows, 70 percent of high school teachers are not science majors. One also faces the added challenge of arresting brain drain — encouraging our teachers to remain at home instead of migrating overseas.

Not that there is no appreciation from other sectors as already, the business sector has given projects like "Adopt a School Program" scholarships to deserving indigent students, teacher training, and the like, priority in its corporate social responsibility program. But these initiatives are not enough. The quality of our education when compared to that of our neighbors in the ASEAN region is rapidly deteriorating and we do not seem to have a formula that can quickly arrest it.

The studies and assessment reports would help but there is need to prioritize the concerns to match our resources and the urgent needs. Like his predecessors, Secretary Lapus’ response is that he would give urgent attention to increasing resources, and upgrade curricula which focus on science and mathematics, English, and social studies. A review of past initiatives (adding one year to basic education, intensive teacher training, instituting mechanisms for effective participation of parent-teachers’ associations and the community, use of innovative learning systems (distance education, community e-centers) setting up more cost-effective delivery systems, etc. There are already models designed by academic institutions and organizations like UNESCO, the International Institute of Educational Planning, and other international agencies to improve both access and quality. Among current and critical concerns focus on how children learn — by examining their cognitive processes and developing methodologies based on constructivist concepts of learning to improve creativity and critical thinking.

Secretary Lapus, with his managerial skills, can address the problems of resources, infrastructure, and access. The real challenge now is how he can address the even more serious issue of quality and relevance.

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On August 5, friends and colleagues of the late DepEd Secretary and Senator Raul Roco are invited to a mass celebrating his death anniversary at the Dela Strada Parish, Quezon City. Secretary Roco has often been referred to as "the best president the country never had. It is also a time to recall his unselfish contribution to education, policy making and national development. Please e-mail Sonia Roco for details at senator_raulroco@yahoo.com. My e-mail is florbraid@yahoo.com