LEGAZPI CITY -- Expressing serious concern over the seemingly deteriorating standard of education in Albay, as seen by the poor results of regional and national achievement tests of high school graduates in various public and private schools across the province, the provincial government will embark on an aggressive educational reform program that will address this particular problem.

        Albay Gov. Joey Sarte Salceda said the education sector will initiate a project dubbed as Project EQUAL (Education Quality for Albayanos), one of his centerpiece projects under his Albay Mabuhay Program.

        The educational reform was set off following reports of an alarming condition in the state of basic education in Albay, as revealed  by the results of the recently- concluded National Career Assessment Examination (NCAE).

        The NCAE results indicated that out of 188 City and Provincial Schools Divisions in the country, Albay ranked 175th place, Ligao City – 163rd, Tabaco City- 109th and Legazpi City at the 58th slot.

        In the 2005 National Achievement Tests given to Grade VI and Fourth year students, of the 13 Divisions in Bicol, albay ranked 19th in both elementary and secondary levels, while Tabaco city placed 7th in the elementary and 5th in the secondary, while Legazpi city placed 12th in the lementary and 9th in the secondary.

        Other achievement tests conducted by the Department of Education (DepEd) in Bicol for the past 2 years (SY 2005-2007) revealed a deteriorating  quality of instruction in basic education in the province.

        Salceda said to address the sad condition of the present educational system and  instigate improvements in the quality of basic education in the province his administration has come up with Project EQUAL, aimed at improving the standard of education in the elementary and secondary levels in the province.

        Providing impetus to the project the provincial executive recently issued  an Executive Order No. 6 creating the Albay Council on Education (ACE) tasked to address the problem  and institute policies, guidelines and monitor the  improvements of the academic performance of pupils/students in the division, regional and national achievement examination.

        The ACE in a recent organizational meeting came up with interventions which include among others:  holding of an Education Summit; every child a reader (E-CARE);  feeding program; Light a barangay school (LABS); A computer for every school (ACES); Capability Build-up Program (CBP) for teachers and students.

        Basic Education Research (BER), Promoting partnership with stakeholders (PPLS); Teachers Training for Special Children (T2SPEC) and Outstanding School and Student Award (OSSA).