Philippine
education has passed through various stages of development. These stages
underwent numerous dramatic changes which are depicted in the different period
of educational evolution, from the pre-Spanish and Spanish periods, American
Regime, Japanese occupation to the present.
Education during the Pre-Spanish
Period (Before 1521)
The Pre-Spanish period does
not give a definite information regarding the system of education in the Philippines.
In the history of the Philippine civilization, culture has
been identified to have
manifested the use of the system of education although there were no definite
records that were available to determine the type of schools that the early
Filipinos had, the subject offered, and the methods of teaching they used.
The early Filipinos possessed
both written and oral literature. All written records, however, were destroyed
by the Spaniards for they believed that these were the works of the devil. Oral
literature has been preserved to the present time through songs, proverbs,
maxims, Duplo’s, epics and various tales and religious and criminological
codes.
They possessed astronomical
knowledge which they used in devising a calendar. Their practical knowledge of
engineering was exhibited in the world famous rice terraces.
The architectural skills were
also displayed on idols of wood, stone, gold and ivory. An animodeist religion
was practiced. Much of their religious practices were connected with superstitious
beliefs which included the worship of anitos and spirits of ancestors.
Education during the Spanish Period (1565-1898)
This Educational decree of
1863 was an attempt of the Spaniards to reform the educational system of the
Philippines.
The following were its
features:
1. The establishment of a
complete secondary and collegiate levels; 2. The provision for government
supervision and control of these schools; and 3. The establishment of
teacher-training institutions.
Education during the American Regime (1898-1936)
The system of public education
established during the American Regime was patterned after the American
educational systems which prevailed during this period. Colleges and
universities organized by the religious orders during the Spanish time
continued to operate.
However, their program of
studies and curricula were revised to adapt to the changes of the time, like
teaching the English language.
Education during the
Commonwealth Period (1935-1941) and Japanese Occupation (1941-1945)
The commonwealth period was
instrumental to the development and progress of education. The curricula in the
secondary and elementary school levels were revised.
Some of the significant
developments during the Commonwealth period were the following: (1). Re-orientation
of educational plans and policies to carry out the
Educational mandate of the
Constitution; (2). Revision of the elementary and secondary school curricula to
carry out the objectives of education embodied in the Constitution;
(3.) Emphasis on character
education and citizenship training; (4). Introduction of vocational subjects in
the general secondary course; and (5) passage of the education Act of 1940
(Commonwealth Act No. 586) which provided for the complete revision of the
public elementary school system of the country.
The Present Educational System
(1946-Present)
The present system of
education in the Philippines is patterned after the prevalent state school
system of the United States. Since its establishment, the system has undergone
a process of transformation.
Under the 1935 Constitution,
the schools aimed to develop moral character, personal discipline, civic
conscience and vocational efficiency and to teach the duties of citizenship.
The system that dispensed education in the Philippines comprised the schools
established by private individuals or corporation or the private schools as
well as the public schools which were owned and managed by the state.
Vocational education was
emphasized in both the public and private schools.
The task of supervising and
regulating all educational institutions belonged to the Department of Education
and through the two bureaus under its jurisdiction which were concerned with
school instruction. Public elementary, secondary, normal and technical school
were supervised and controlled by the Bureau of Public Schools.
Private schools came under the
supervision and regulation of the Bureau of Private Schools. In the late
sixties and the early seventies, the nation was shaken by social, economic and
political restiveness among the masses, particularly the youth.
Martial Law was declared in
1972 and the massive reforms in all government sectors were undertaken.
The country’s educational
system adopted the acronym PLEDGES as a means of directing all strategies in
achieving the goals set for education. PLEDGES means Peace and Order, Land
Reform, Economic Development, Government Reorganization, Employment and
Manpower Development and Social Services
The History of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports
The present
Department of Education, Culture and Sports has passed through several changes
in its evolution. It has been called by different names depending upon the
several changes in its evolution.
It has been called by
different names depending upon the need of the times. Discussed herein are the
different stages in the history of the DECS.
The Department of Public Instruction
The
administration of Philippine Government during the early part of the American
Occupation was in the hands of the Philippine Commissions whose members were
appointed by the President of the United States. This commission, on January
21, 1901, passed Act No.74 which established the Department of Public
Instruction, which have executive control and general supervision of all
schools already established by the military authorities.
The Bureau of Education
Act No. 477,
which was passed on October 8, 1902 amended Section 1 of Act No.74, created the
Bureau of Education which assumed the general control and supervision of the
public schools.
The Department of Education
Upon the
reorganization of the National Government as embodied in Executive Order No.94
which was officially released on October 15,1947, the Department was renamed
Department of Education headed by the Secretary of Education for the reason
that the old designation was not inclusive enough to express the scope and
nature of its functions.
The Department of Education and Culture
By virtue of
Presidential Decree No.1, the executive branch of the government was
reorganized with the adoption of the Integrated Reorganization Plan on
September 24, 1972. The President ordered the reorganization of the government
structure and functions and with it, the Department of Education underwent
changes.
Its name was change to
Department of Education and Culture to stress its major role in economic and
cultural development. The Presidential Order of 1972, based on Presidential
Decree No.1 abolished the Bureau of Public Schools, Bureau of Private Schools
and the Bureau of Vocational School.
The three (3) bureaus namely:
The Bureau of Elementary Education, the Bureau of Secondary Education and the
Bureau of Higher Education, would be responsible for the formulation and
evaluation of programs and standards at their respective level of education,
both public and private.
The Ministry of Education and Culture
In 1978,
pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 1397, along with other government
departments, the Department of Education and Culture was converted into a
Ministry and named Ministry of Education and Culture. Since then, it has
undergone a series of reorganizations with end in view of increasing its
effectiveness and efficiency in delivering service to its clientele.
It has been decentralized and
the burden of effectively responding to the peculiar needs and concerns of the
different regions of the country is shared by 13 regional directors who
reported directly to the Minister. The Minister was assisted by four Deputy
Ministers and other staff personnel in managing the affairs of the agency.
The Department of Education, Culture and Sports
A new administration took over in 1986 following the deposition of President Ferdinand Marcos on February 25, 1986. The new leadership of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports reviewed the progress and problems in the system and instituted policies and thrust to improve the delivery of educational services.
On February 11, 1987, the Ministries were converted into departments and corresponding change in the titles of key point thereof. The Ministry of Education Culture and Sports was changed into Department of Eucation Culture and Sports by virtue of Administrative Order No. 15 and Department Order No.16, s. 1987. The title of the Minister was changed to Secretary. Likewise, Deputy Ministers were changed to Undersecretaries and Assistant Ministers as Assistant Secretaries.
The Department of Education
By virtue of Republic Act
9155, the Department of Education was created. Due to this reorganization, the
DepEd as it is known today is in charge of the basic education – elementary and
secondary levels.
This law was approved on
August 11, 2001 and known as “An Act Instituting a Frame Work of Governance For
basic Education, Establishing Authority and Accountability, Renaming the
Department of Education, Culture and Sports as the Department of Education.
It provides that it is
declared the policy of the State to protect and promote the right of all
citizens to quality basic education and to make such education accessible to all
by providing all Filipino children a free compulsory education in the
elementary level and free education in the high school level.
|
YEARS |
OFFICIAL NAME OF DECS |
OFFICIAL TITULAR HEAD |
LEGAL BASES |
|
1863 |
Superior Commission
of Primary Instruction |
Chairman |
Educational
Decree of 1863 |
|
1901
-1916 |
Departmement
of Public Instruction |
General
Superintendent |
Act No.74 of the Philippines Commission, January 21, 1901 |
|
1916-1942 |
Department of Public Instruction |
Secretary |
Organic Act law of 1916 |
|
1942-1944 |
Department
of Education Health and Public Welfare |
Commissioner |
Renamed
by the Japanese Executive Commission;
June 11, 1942 |
|
1944-1945 |
Department
of Education Health and Public Welfare |
Minister |
Renamed
by the Japanese- Sponsored Philippine Republic |
|
Same
year |
Department
of Public Instruction |
Secretary |
Renamed by the Japanese- Sponsored Philippine Republic |
|
1945-1947 |
Department
of Instruction |
Secretary |
Rnamed
by the Commonwealth Government |
|
1947-1975 |
Department
of Education |
Secretary |
E.O.No.94
October 1947 (Reorganization Act of 1947) |
|
1975-1978 |
Department of Education and Culture |
Secretary |
Proc.No.1081
September 24, 1972 |
|
1978-1984 |
Ministry of Education and Culture |
Minister |
P.D.No 1397 June 2, 1978 |
|
1984-1986 |
Ministry of Education Culture and Sports |
Minister |
Education Act of 1982 |
|
1987 |
Department of Education,
Culture and Sports |
Secretary |
E.O.No.117, January
30, 1987 |
|
2001 |
Department of Education |
Secretary |
R.A 9155 August 11,2001 |
THE EVOLUTION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ANTI BULLYING LAW
Republic Act No. 10627 is also known as
the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013. This law provides that “bullying” shall refer to
any severe or repeated use by one or more students of a written, verbal or
electronic expression, or a physical act or gesture, or any combination
thereof, directed at another student, that has the effect of actually causing
or placing the latter in reasonable fear of physical or emotional harm or
damage to his property; creating a hostile environment at school for the other
student infringing on the rights of the other student at school; or materially
and substantially disrupting the education process or the orderly operation of
a school;
Mechanism to Address Bullying
The law mandates that the
school principal or any person who holds a comparable role shall be responsible
for the implementation and oversight of policies intended to address bullying.
All schools shall inform their
respective schools division superintendents in writing about the anti-bullying
policies formulated within six months from the effectivity of this Act. Such
notification shall likewise be an administrative requirement prior to the
operation of new schools. In the rules and regulations to be implemented
pursuant to this Act, the Secretary of the DepEd shall prescrive the
appropriate administrative sanctions on school administrators who shall fail to
comply with the requirements under this Act. In addition thereto, erring
private schools shall likewise suffer the penalty of suspension of their
permits to operate.
The Child Protection Policy of the Department of Education (D.O. No.40
s. 2012
DepEd shall ensure that our schools are conductive to the education of children. The best interest of the child shall be the paramount consideration in all decisions and actions involving children.
Teachers are their substitute
parents and are expected to discharge their functions and duties with this in
mind. DepEd shall promulgate a zero tolerance policy for any act of child
abuse, exploitation, violence, discrimination, bullying and other forms of
abuse.
Violence Against children committed in schools
It refers to
a single act or a series of acts committed by school administrators, academic
and non-academic personnel against a child which result in or is likely to
result in physical, sexual, psychological, harassment or arbitrary deprivation
of liberty.
Corporal Punishment
It refers to a
kind of punishment or penalty imposed for an alleged or actual offense, which
is carried out or inflicted, for the purpose of discipline, training or
control, by a teacher, school administrator, an adult, or any other child who
has been given or has assumed authority or responsibility for punishment or
discipline.
Bullying or Peer Abuse
It refers to willful
aggressive behavior that is directed towards a particular victim who may be out
numbered, younger, weak with disability, less confident, or otherwise
vulnerable, more particularly: a. Bullying b. Cyber-Bullying
Duties of the School
It is the
duty of every school to adopt a child protection policy, organize and convene
Child Protection Committee (CPC) for the school; conduct the capacity building
activities for the members of the CPC and Guidance Counselors/Teachers; ensure
that the participatory and other rights of children are respected and upheld in
all matters and procedures affecting their welfare.
Child Protection Committee (CPC)
The Child Protection Committee shall be composed of: School
Head/Administrator-Chairperson
Guidance Counselor/Teacher-Vice Chairperson
Representative of the Teachers as designated by the Faculty Club
Representative of Parents as designated by the PTA Representative of
pupils/students designated by the Student Council
Protective and Remedial
Measures to Address Bullying and Other Acts of Abuse
All bullying incidents shall
be reported to the school Head. The School Head shall in turn inform the
parents of the pupils concerned and a meeting shall be held for that purpose.
Protective and Remedial Measures to Address Bullying and Other Acts of Abuse.
The student shall be referred
to the CPC for counseling and other interventions. The School may impose
Non-punitive Measures in accordance with the principles of Positive and
Non-Violent Discipline. Punitive measures will be a last resort.