OPENING PRAYER
THE HISTORY OF
EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM
OF THE PHILIPPINES
DISCUSSANT: MARIAN G. VINLUAN
LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of the discussion we will be able to :
have knowledge about the history of educational
system of the Philippines
To gain understanding about the Educational
Framework of the Philippines.
Familiarize with DepEd Vision, Mission, and
Goals.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE PHILIPPINES EDUCATION
SYSTEM
Before the Spanish arrived in 1521, there was little formal
education in the Philippines. Fathers taught their sons how
to obtain food, while mothers taught their daughters how to
do household chores.
Spanish Period
Education was formalized with the arrival of the Spanish;
Spaniards, mestizos (mixed Spanish/Filipino people) and
wealthy Filipinos were given priority, creating an educational
mismatch in the Philippines. Most native people were excluded
from the more prestigious educational institutions, as the
colonists believed that quality education might threaten their
hold over the population. The curriculum at the time involved
the study of Christian doctrine, Spanish language and
history, mathematics, agriculture, geography, etiquette, and
singing; girls were also taught sewing.
At the end of the Spanish-American War in 1898, the Americans
took over the Philippines. English was adopted as the primary
language of education, and schools became more secularized.
A centralized public school system was established in 1901, with
1,000 teachers (Thomasites)brought over from the USA to make up
for a shortage of teachers at home. Education from age seven and
up became compulsory, and school supplies were provided to
students for free.
During WWII
When the Japanese occupied the Philippines in 1942
during the Second World War, they attempted to
discourage the use of English and adopt Japanese as
the medium of education. However, school enrolment
was low, as families felt that their children were safer at
home during this time.
The Japanese also established the Department of
Instruction, which would later become the Department
of Education in 1947. The Japanese departed the
Philippines in 1946, and the Philippines finally gained
full independence.
The Educational System in the
Philippines (1946 to Present)
Today’s education system in the Philippines most closely
resembles the American model. English remains the
primary medium of instruction, although bilingual
teaching of Math, Science and Literature (in English and
Tagalog) was introduced under Ferdinand Marcos in
1974.
The establishment of the Technical Education and Skills
Development Authority (TESDA) in 1994 reflected a shift
in government focus toward vocational education, with
courses offered in practical skills such as vehicle repair
and bartending.
In 1972, the Department of Education became the Department of Education
and Culture (DECS) under Proclamation 1081, which was signed by
President Ferdinand Marcos.
In 1978, by the Presidential Decree No. 1397, DECS became the Ministry
of Education and Culture.
The Education Act of 1982 provided for an integrated system of education
covering both formal and non-formal education at all levels.
Section 29 of the act sought to upgrade educational institutions' standards to
achieve "quality education" through voluntary accreditation for schools,
colleges, and universities.
Section 16 and Section 17 upgraded the obligations and qualifications
required for teachers and administrators.
Section 41 provided for government financial assistance to private schools.
This act also created the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports.
A new constitution was ratified on February 2, 1987, and entered
into force of February 11. Section 3, Article XIV of the 1987
Constitution contains the ten fundamental aims of education in
the Philippines. Section 2(2), Article XIV of the 1987
Constitution made elementary school compulsory for all
children.
In 1987, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports
became again the DECS under Executive Order No. 117. The
structure of DECS as embodied in the order remained practically
unchanged until 1994.
On May 26, 1988, the Congress of the Philippines enacted the
Republic Act 6655 or the Free Public Secondary Education
Act of 1988, which mandated free public secondary education
commencing in the school year 1988-1989.
On February 3, 1992, the Congress enacted Republic Act 7323,
which provided that students aged 15 to 25 may be employed
during their Christmas vacation and summer vacation with a
salary not lower than the minimum wage--with 60% of the wage
paid by the employer and 40% by the government.
The Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM) report of 1991
recommended the division of DECS into three parts.
1. On May 18, 1994, the Congress passed Republic Act 7722 or the Higher Education
Act of 1994, creating the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), which assumed
the functions of the Bureau of Higher Education and supervised tertiary degree programs.
2.On August 25, 1994, the Congress passed Republic Act 7796 or the Technical
Education and Skills Development Act of 199, creating the Technical Education and
Skills Development Authority (TESDA), which absorbed the Bureau of Technical-
Vocational Education as well as the National Manpower and Youth Council, and began to
supervise non-degree technical-vocational programs.
3. DECS retained responsibility for all elementary and secondary education.
This threefold division became known as the "trifocal system of education"
in the Philippines.
In August 2001, Republic Act 9155, otherwise called the Governance of Basic Education
Act, was passed.
This act changed the name of DECS to the current Department of Education (DepEd) and
redefined the role of field offices (regional offices, division offices, district offices and
schools).
The act provided the overall framework for school empowerment by strengthening the
leadership roles of headmasters and fostering transparency and local accountability
for school administrations.
The goal of basic education was to provide the school age population and young adults
with skills, knowledge, and values to become caring, self-reliant, productive, and patriotic
citizens.
In 2006, the Education for All (EFA) 2015
National Action Plan was implemented. It states:
" The central goal is to provide basic
competencies to everyone, and to achieve
functional literacy for all. Ensuring that every
Filipino has the basic competencies is equivalent
to providing all Filipinos with the basic learning
needs, or enabling all Filipinos to be functionally
literate. “
In January 2009, the Department of Education signed a
memorandum of agreement with the United States Agency
for International Development (USAID) to seal $86
million assistance to Philippine education, particularly the
access to quality education in the Autonomous Region in
Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), and the Western and Central
Mindanao regions
In 2010,Senator Benigno Aquino III expressed his desire to
implement the K-12 basic education cycle to increase the
number of years of compulsory education to thirteen years.
According to him, this will "give everyone an equal chance to succeed" and
"have quality education and profitable jobs".
After further consultations and studies, the government under
President Aquino formally adopted the K-6-4-2 basic
education system—
one(1)year of kindergarten,
six(6) years of elementary education,
four(4)years of junior high school education and two years of senior
high school education.
Kindergarten was formally made compulsory by virtue of the
Kindergarten Education Act of 2012, while the further twelve
years were officially put into law by virtue of the Republic Act
10533 also known as “Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013”,
or the K to 12 Curriculum.
Although DepEd has already implemented the K-12 Program since
SY 2011-2012, it was still enacted into law to guarantee its
continuity in the succeeding years.
Facts about Education in the Philippines
There are three agencies that handle the different levels of the
Philippines education system:
The Department of Education (DepEd) oversees basic education.
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED)manages tertiary
and graduate education.
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority
(TESDA) oversees technical-vocational courses and middle
education.
The Philippine Basic Education Curriculum
1984 – 2002 : National Elementary School Curriculum
(NESC)
1991 – 2002 : New Secondary Education Curriculum
2002: Revised Basic Education Curriculum (RBEC)
2010 : Secondary Education Curriculum
2012 – present: K to 12 Basic Education
How does the Education System in the Philippines work?
The basic education system in the Philippines is the K to 12 Program, which covers 13 years
of education from kindergarten to Grade 12.
It was introduced over a six-year period from 2011 to 2017, to bring the Philippines education
system in line with the rest of the world.
Previously, the Philippines had a 10-year basic education program, the last country in Asia to
do so.
Lessons are now taught in the language local to the area.
The K-12 reforms also saw the establishment of a parallel education system called the
Alternative Learning System, or ALS.
ALS exists as a substitute for conventional education, in cases where children are unable to
attend and finish formal basic education.
ALS takes a more informal approach to education, encouraging self-study and flexible learning
timelines based on student availability
Structure of Basic Education in the
Philippines(Present)
K TO 12 BASIC EDUCATION
CURRICULUM
General Features of K to 12 Curriculum
Strengthening Early Childhood Education ( Universal Kindergarten)
Making the Curriculum Relevant to Learners( Contextualization and
Enhancement)
Ensuring Integrated and Seamless Learning( Spiral Progression)
Building Proficiency through Language ( Mother Tongue- Based Multilingual
Education)
Gearing Up for the Future ( Senior High School)
Nurturing the Holistically Developed Filipino ( College and Livelihood
Readiness,21st Century Skills)
The Standards of the Curriculum
Learner- centered
Relevant, responsive and research-based
Culture-sensitive
Contextualized and global
Uses pedagogical approaches that are constructivist, inquiry-based, reflective,
collaborative and integrative
Adhere to the principles and framework of MTB-MLE
Uses spiral progression approach to ensure mastery of knowledge and skills after each
level
Flexible enough to enable to allow schools to localize, indigenize and enhance the same
based on their respective educational and social context.
Aims/ Objectives of Philippine Education
In the Philippines the education system aims to:
• Provide a broad general education that will assist each individual in society to attain
his/her potential as a human being, and enhance the range and quality of the individual
and the group;
• Help the individual participate in the basic functions of society and acquire the
essential educational foundation for his/her development into a productive and
versatile citizen;
• Train the nation’s manpower in the middle-level skills required for national
development;
• Develop the high-level professions that will provide leadership for the nation,
advance knowledge through research, and apply new knowledge for improving the
quality of human life;
• Respond effectively to changing needs and conditions through a system of
educational planning and evaluation.
Organizational Structure of Department of Education
THE DEPED VISION
We dream of Filipinos
who passionately love their country
and whose values and competencies
enable them to realize their full potential
and contribute meaningful to building the nation.
As a learner-centered public institution,
the Department of Education
continuously improves itself
to better serve its stakeholders.
THE DEPED MISSION
To protect and promote the right of every Filipino to quality, equitable, culture-based, and
complete basic education where:
STUDENTS learn in a child-friendly, gender-sensitive, safe, and motivating environment.
TEACHERS facilitate learning and constantly nurture every learner.
ADMINISTRATORS and STAFF, as stewards of the institution, ensure an enabling and
supportive environment for effective learning to happen.
FAMILY, COMMUNITY AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS are actively engaged and
share responsibility for developing life-long learners
CORE VALUES
Maka-Diyos
Maka-tao
Makakalikasan
Makabansa
MANDATE
The Department of Education was established through the Education Decree of 1863 as the Superior
Commission of Primary Instruction under a Chairman. The Education agency underwent many
reorganization efforts in the 20th century in order to better define its purpose vis a vis the changing
administrations and charters. The present day Department of Education was eventually mandated through
Republic Act 9155, otherwise known as the Governance of Basic Education act of 2001 which establishes
the mandate of this agency.
The Department of Education(DepEd) formulates, implements, and coordinates policies, plans, programs
and projects in the areas of formal and non-formal basic education. It supervises all elementary and
secondary education institutions, including alternative learning systems, both public and private; and
provides for the establishment and maintenance of a complete, adequate, and integrated system of basic
education relevant to the goals of national development.
Final thoughts
Education in the Philippines has come a long way since pre-colonial times. Different
curriculum and strategies were used and implemented.
Education is a continuous lifelong process. The aim of education is to provide direction to the
process of education.
In our educational system different revisions were made to enhance or upgrade the quality
education that every Filipino can acquire for us to be globally competitive.
References:
https://www.futurelearn.com/info/futurelearn-international/explore-philippines-education-s
ystem
https://www.k12academics.com/Education%20Worldwide/Education%20in%20the%20Phi
lippines/history-education-philippines
https://www.deped.gov.ph/about-deped/central-office/
https://www.imbalife.com/importance-of-education-in-the-philippines#:~:text=In%20the%
201935%20Constitution%20of,teach%20the%20duties%20of%20citizenship.%E2%80%9
D
http://www.ibe.unesco.org/fileadmin/user_upload/archive/Countries/WDE/2006/
ASIA_and_the_PACIFIC/Philippines/Philippines.pdf
End …
Thank You!
