Official denies schools teaching extremism

Philippine Education Secretary Raul Roco does not believe the 1,472 local Muslim schools are using curriculums patterned on extremist ideology. He berated the local media for their "irresponsible" reports that the Muslim schools are being used as training grounds for future extremists.

"The situation there [in Muslim areas] is very volatile. These reports may endanger the lives of the Christian teachers who will be suspected of feeding those reports to the media."

Roco said the Department of Education (DepEd) would, however, request the Armed Forces to verify the media reports. "That is not our immediate priority in the department and there is no cause for alarm over these reports."

A senior government official earlier said the Muslim schools do not teach schoolchildren basic competencies - reading, writing, arithmetic - but influence the young minds of these children on how to defend Islam.

He said the department cannot tell these schools what curriculum to use because this matter is covered by the peace agreement with the Moro rebels. Roco said that although the department has a mandate over the schools as part of the entire education system, the agency cannot intervene post haste.

"It's a very complicated situation. The department cannot just barge in there and tell them what to do."

The senior official made the remarks in announcing two foreign-funded education programmes for Muslim schoolchildren in partnership with the Australian government: A $150,000 Basic Education Assistance Programme in Central Mindanao, Caraga, and ARMM; and the Mindanao Basic Education Programme funded by the Asian Development Bank aimed at integrating the Muslim schools into the basic education system.