Uneven student-teacher ratio worries PSS

Why their children attend private and not public schools, they call it “parental choice.”

This is a view shared by some Board of Education members after doubts have been raised on their “confidence” in public education as authorities deciding on the fate of the Public School System.

BOE Chair Frances H. Diaz explained that her decision to send one of her kids to a private school is due to the more “personalized” attention accorded to every child in the classroom.

Ms. Diaz said the decision is not because of the popular perception that public education is inferior compared to education acquired from private schools.

“I sent my child to a private school and because I paid for it, I expect a return of investment. And I expect my child to get grades no less than A’s,” she said.

BOE member Anthony Pellegrino urged the rest of the board have the same expectations from PSS.

But these expectations remain farfetched when PSS has barely enough teachers to oversee the instruction of students in the classroom.

“We are always trying to reduce the class size but how can we when we lack the funds to support this effort?” BOE member Esther Fleming asked.

The fact remains that students still outnumber teachers in PSS five times than the present situation in CNMI private schools.

Public school teachers handle an average of 20 students per class, according to the board chair.

In private schools, four is to one is the ideal student-teacher ratio.

This major deterrent to public education is still one of the hurdles the board is continuously trying to address.

BOE Public School Teacher Representative David Borja suggested parent involvement as a solution to enhance student quality in public schools.

“Our teachers are crying for help,” said Mr. Borja.

He personally added that inside his classroom, he handles a maximum of 30 students. His smallest class size is 18.

Earlier, BOE Vice Chair Roman C. Benavente also shared sentiments on what he perceived as a reason why many education programs in the CNMI, as well as in the states, continue to be underfunded.

Mr. Benavente said the lack of funding on education initiatives remain due to the fact that majority of the Commonwealth’s leaders enroll their children in private schools.

He added that the leaders’ interest is simply not evident based on the present set-up.

As a result, prominent leaders tend to develop a sense of ownership for the institution by which they have placed their long-term investment on, Mr. Benavente added.