Did you know that...

●  the Philippines ranks as the 12^th most populous nation in the world? Its 2008 population is estimated to be more than 92 million.

 ●  a person with a college degree earns twice as much as one with a high school diploma and more than twice as likely to be employed?

 ● there is an average of 35 students for every teacher in the Philippines (42^nd in the world)? In remote areas, the ratio climbs from 50 to 70 students per teacher.  The textbook-to-student ratio is 1:8 in high school. In elementary, 6 pupils share a book.

 ● out of every 100 Filipino school children enrolled every year, 66 will complete elementary education, 42 will finish high school but only 14 will earn a college degree?

 ● more than 90% of the elementary schools, 60% of the secondary schools, and only 28% of the tertiary schools are publicly owned?

 ● of 400,000 teachers polled, 55% said their schools had no access to electricity, while 84% had no running water and only 38% are provided with toilets? About one-fourth said they taught in classrooms without ceilings; 45% brought their own tables to school, 43% brought their own chairs.

 ● in 1995, the Philippines ranked third to last in math and second to the last in science in an international test taken by half a million elementary and high school students in 45 countries?

 ● though the Philippine Constitution has mandated that the government allocate the highest proportion of its budget to education, it still has one of the lowest budgets (2.7% of GDP) allocations to education in Southeast Asia?

 ● the annual tuition of private univer­sities are nearly three times the annual median income of Filipino families ($1,775 in 2000)?

 ● in 1999, scholarships were received by only 12.8% of the families with children enrolled in higher education? Although public elementary education is free, school-related expenses like transportation, snacks, lunch, school supplies and other learning materials are beyond the capabilities of poor parents.