Female Supremacy Articles - Page 23

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"There was a decreasing trend in elementary and secondary enrollment and completion rates from 2000 to 2005," she said.

DepEd studies showed that the number of Grade 1 applicants with ECE had been erratic, with the country failing to attain its 2005 target of 67 percent.

"The DepEd has a very limited allocation for ECE, which is less than one percent of its yearly budget," Roces said.

The DepEd studies also revealed that more students dropped out from the system as they reached higher levels in high school. The lowest completion rate and highest percentage decrease from 2002 to 2005 were registered in the rural areas.

Roces said the disparity between the highest and lowest performing regions in net enrollment ratio at the elementary and high school levels had worsened over time. "The decrease in elementary net enrollment ratio could be attributed to non-school factors such as poverty, armed conflict and calamities as the government has already been able to establish elementary schools in almost all villages," she said.

"The department's budget of P139 billion in 2007 is not enough," Roces said, explaining that 85 percent of the budget would go to payroll while only P2 billion would be allocated for classroom construction.

She added that the National Government Expenditures for Basic Education as a percentage of the gross domestic product had decreased over time.