5 June 2014 - The Philippine Embassy in Muscat reported that a two-member Philippine Delegation composed of officials from the Department of Education participated in the Global Education for All Meeting (GEM) which was held from May 12 to 14 in Muscat, Oman.

The annual Global EFA (Education for All) Meeting brings together representatives of UNESCO Member States, EFA convening agencies, bilateral agencies, United Nations and regional organizations, civil society organizations, the private sector, research institutes and foundations.Its main purpose is to critically assess progress towards EFA based on the EFA Global Monitoring Report and regional reports, and to agree on tangible actions for follow-up.

The 2014 GEM was inaugurated on May 14 under the auspices of His Highness Sayyid As’sad bin Tariq Al Said, the Representative of His Majesty the Sultan. This was the last global meeting of all EFA partners before the World Education Forum 2015 in South Korea.

The delegation presented the current efforts and strategic directions of the Philippines highlighting the K to 12 program as the core of educational reforms in the country which seeks to address the chronic job-skills mismatch in the labor market through the introduction of Grades 11 and 12. It also highlighted that attaining educational goals should not only be seen as the sole function of the education agency but also by other relevant agencies such as the finance ministry and congress/parliament.

To achieve EFA goals, the delegation suggested that more attention should be given to the promotion of child-protection, use of alternative modalities in delivering education particularly to disadvantaged and underserved communities, and the use of differentiated approach to indigenous peoples and Muslim learners to keep them interested in education.