The
History of the Formation and Development of the Educational System
In
this article, we will see more about how the educational system of the
Philippines came into existence, starting from the early settlers up to the
present. To deal with this, we will be tracking four main stages of history
which resulted in significant changes in the educational system. Firstly,
education from Early Filipinos will be discussed followed by the Spanish Period
then the American Period. Furthermore, we discuss the changes during the
Japanese Occupation and finally the educational system in the Present Period.
The
evolution of education in the Philippines has already been observed from the
early settlers to today. In the country education has high priority and it is
of national importance that education is maintained since it is the
primary avenuefor upward social and economic mobility. Before becoming
stable, the country’s educational system went through several stages of
development.
Education
– Early Filipinos
The
economic situation during the pre-colonial times was the great contributor and
a major factor in the system of education in the Philippines. Primitive
Communal to Asiatic feudalism were the types of society present
before Spanish colonization. With their practical and subsistent mode of
production they had to provide education that was plain and simple. The medium
of instruction used was Alibata, the native alphabet.
The
educators or the teachers during the pre-colonial era were the Babaylan and the
Katalonan. Gifted with wisdom and knowledge on spirituality and the system of
running their own society, they were respected by the people of the society
Therefore, the type of education that was taught was one of beliefs and
traditions. However, since there was insufficient scientific learning, they
lacked efficient means of economic production.
Education
was truly valued by the early Filipinos. The fathers trained their sons in how
to hunt and other means of maintaining a livelihood. On the other hand, the
mothers were in charge of their girls and instructing on household chores. The
purpose of this type of education was to prepare both boys and girls to become
good husbands and wives in the future. Both Filipino men and women knew how to
read and write using their own alphabet called alibata. It was
composed of 17 symbols each representing the letters of the alphabet. The
symbols contained three vowels and the rest were consonants.
Communities
were Muslim, similar to those on Mindanao, and education was proliferated
through the religion of Islam. The Imam or Ulema were the declared
teachers. The children were taught how to read, write and comprehend Arabic by
using the Koran as their holy book.
To
sum up, ‘informal’ and ‘unstructured’ are the words best used to describe the
education in the Philippines during the pre-Spanish era. The type of education
was not institutionalized and separate institutions for education were not in
place. Specialization in education also did not exist.
Education
– Spanish Period
Compared
with the system of the early settlers, during the pre-Spanish time the system
changed into a formal system. The first Christian school built in the
Philippines was mandated by the Augustinians and established in Cebu in 1565.
The establishment of schools from the primary level to the tertiary level
education came about all because of the religious congregations. Christian
doctrines were the main focus of these schools and schools for boys and girls
were separate. However, only wealthy Filipinos or the Illustrados were
accommodated by the schools. More negative effects were brought about by
colonial education for the Filipinos.
The
Spanish authorities in the Philippines were mandated to educate the natives, to
teach them how to read and write, and to learn Spanish based on King Philip
II’s Law of the Indies (Leyes de Indias). However, given the realities of the
time, the last order was quite impossible. First, the number of Spaniards in
the Archipelago was limited so the teaching of Spanish at that time was
minimal. Next, the Philippines was inhabited by diverse tribes with different
languages all with unique customs and religions. Then, the topography of the
country - the seas, the mountain ranges, the lush virgin forests and the
absence of enough good roads - made travel and communication difficult during
these years. Faced with these problems, the friars - the vanguard of
evangelization and education – found an alternative which was to
learn the native languages first so that they could use them as tools to
evangelize and teach the natives in the missionary schools. Nevertheless,
Spanish was also taught to those who were interested. With the first movable
printing press in the country introduced by Spaniard, Tomas Pinpin, the Prince
of Filipino printers, made sure he published a book on how to learn Spanish.
The archives of some of the published books during the Spanish era, such as the
Spanish-Chinese dictionaries, are kept at the University of Santo Tomas.
The
public school system in the Philippines was born in 1863, with the passage of
the Education Reform Act in the Spanish Courts. Due to the compulsory education
of Filipino children, separate schools for boys and girls were established in
every pueblo†.
The law also implemented the training of both male and female teachers after
the establishment of the Escuela Normal. The clergy or the friars maintained
the order in the educational system during these times. They owned different
schools in the country, ranging from the primary level to the tertiary levels
of education. The sole responsibility of the missionaries, aside from teaching
Christianity, was to maintain the rules and regulations imposed on the
students. In addition, teaching and controlling them was also in their hands.
As
the early part of the seventeenth century approached, there was already a
system laid down for the secondary and tertiary education, but it was
not directed only by Christian doctrines. As the priest and monks worked
together with the civil authorities, they also began to create a network of
primary schools whereby both religious and secular subjects were taught. Ever
since the Spanish colonial government adopted the program of compulsory elementary education
in 1863, the education became free to all children between the ages
of seven and 13. Having such a fulfilling program, the Philippines were already
ahead of most other neighboring Asian colonies in general education (Gunnar
Myrdal 1968).
Although a
systematic and institutionalized kind of education was established,
unfortunately there was still inequality in attaining education. The system of
education familiarized by the Filipinos was religious and patriarchal. People
were also taught that social mobility was achieved through education, but sadly
this manifested itself in social inequality and female subordination. The
higher priority for educational attainment was placed on men rather than on
women.Although the Mestizos and wealthy people enjoyed the privileges of
entering prestigious schools, there were women only vocational schools for
women. However, most women were denied their rights to education due to the
patriarchal belief that women should stay only at home.
With
regard to higher education, the students graduated with a Bachelor of Arts(Bachiller en Artes)
degree. The Jesuits established “Colegio de San Ignacio”, the first college
schools for the boys in Manila in 1580. This was followed by another
university, “Colegio de San Idelfonso” in Cebu in 1595. It was in 1589 when the
government entrusted the “Escuela Pia” to the Jesuits, later this was called
“Ateneo de Municipal” which is now the famous Ateneo de Manila University.
“Colegio de San Jose” was also established in the early 1600s by the friars (de
la Costa, Horacio 1967).
After
the Jesuits, the Dominicans also claimed their reputation as they established
one of the best universities in the Philippines, the University of Santo Tomas
which was opened in 1611. Around 1630, another university was set up built
especially for orphaned boys called the “San Juan de Letran”.
Compared
with the boys, it took a little time to establish schools and colleges for
girls. In 1589, “Colegio de Santa Potenciana” was opened for girls; this was
the first school and college for girls. Following the birth of the first school
for women, Colegio de Santa Isabel opened in 1632. The religious congregations
instituted “beaterio”. The sole purpose of this was to provide education for
orphaned girls who could not afford to educate themselves. The lessons taught
were basically about household tasks such as cooking, embroidery-making, sewing
and others skills necessary for good housekeeping.
Even though
many universities and schools institutions were established, Science and
Mathematics were not much taught to the students; the missionaries greatly
emphasized teaching the Christine doctrines, the reading of Spanish books and a
bit of Educational Decree 1863
The
Decree of Education in 1863 established the first ever educational system in
the Philippines. It required the government to provide school institutions for
boys and girls in every town. Given the situation, the Spanish schools started
accepting Filipino students. It was during this time that the intellectual
Filipinos emerged. This also brought about the establishment of the Normal
Schools which gave more opportunity to the Filipinos to attain a sound
education. The Normal Schools offered a three-year teacher-lead education at
the primary level.
Education
– American Period
Similar
to the Spaniards, the Americans brought many cultural and traditional changes
to the country during their 45 years of colonization. Even today, these strong
influences can still be seen in the lifestyle of the Filipinos. With their
motive to spread their cultural values, specifically the English language to
the Filipino people, education became a very important issue for the United
States’ colonial governments and they used it as a tool to fulfill their
visions.
Every
child from age seven was obliged to register at the nearest school. School
supplies were provided to the students for free. During the American period
levels of education were divided into three. Firstly, the “elementary” level
composed of four primary years and three intermediate years. Next, the
“secondary” or high school level consisted of four years, and finally, the
“college” or tertiary level. Unlike during the Spanish period, religion was not
part of the school curriculum.
If
students excelled academically they were given a chance to continue their
studies and to pursue their expertise in their chosen fields or professions in
the United States. “Scholar” was the word used for them, as the government
covered all their expenses. In return, they were to teach or work in government
offices after they finished their studies. Judge Jose Abad Santos, Francisco
Benitez and Dr. Honoria Sison were some of the successful Filipino scholars.
Volunteer
American soldiers were the first teachers of the Filipinos. Building classrooms
wherever they were assigned was part of their mission. In June 1901 these
pioneer teachers stopped teaching when a group of teachers from the U.S. came
to the country aboard the ship Sheridan. Around August of the same year, 600
more teachers called Thomasites arrived aboard with the ship USS Thomas (from
which their name derived); 365 males and 165 females composed the original
batch of Thomasites who sailed from the U.S. Around 1902 more American teachers
followed the Thomasites, leading to a total of about 1,074 stationed around the
Philippines.
Many
elementary and secondary schools left behind by the Spaniards were recycled and
new ones were established in cities and provinces, namely agricultural,
business, normal and vocational schools. The following were some of the most
important colleges during the American occupation and to this day they still
exist: Philippine Normal School in 1901 (now a university), National University
(1901), St. Paul University Dumaguete (1904), Zamboanga Normal School in 1904
(now Western Mindanao State University), the University of the Philippines
(1908), the University of Manila (1914), Philippine Women's University (1919)
and Far Eastern University (1933). While the Philippine Nautical School, the
Philippine School of Arts and Trades and the Central Luzon Agriculture School
were offering vocational education at that time.
As
far as remote areas were concerned, such as the Mountain Provinces and some
parts of Mindanao like Sulu, schools were also built where attention was given
to vocational and health practices.
In
accordance with the 1935 Constitution, free education in public schools all
over the country was provided by the Commonwealth. Nationalism was emphasized
in schools – teaching the students about the deceased Filipino heroes.
Cooking,
farming, sewing and some household activities together with vocational education
were given importance. Discipline and proper manners were also not neglected.
The Institute of Private Education aimed at observing private schools was
established. In the early 1940s the student population around the country
studying in the 400 private schools reached 10,000 students. Formal education
was not only provided for youngsters, adult education was also present.
Education
- Japanese Occupation
With
the Americans out of the picture, the Japanese Occupation started on 1941.
Changes in the system of education were implemented a year later. Embodied in
the Military Order No. 2 in 1942 they spelled out the basic principle and
guidelines of education in re-opening and operating schools.
These
were the following:
•
To enrich the Filipino culture and to stop patronizing western countries, i.e.,
the United States and Great Britain;
•
To recognize that the Philippines as a part of the Greater East Asia
Co-Prosperity Sphere so that the Philippines and Japan could have good
relations;
•
To boost the morality of the Filipinos and instill cautiousness of materialism;
•
To forget and to stop English language learning, and instead learn and adopt
Nippongo;
•
To proliferate primary and vocational education;
•
To foster love for work.
As
soon as the Commission of Education, Health and Public Welfare was established,
the opening of schools followed in June 1942. On October 14, 1943, the Ministry
of Education was sponsored and created by the Japanese government. During their
time, the teaching of Tagalog‡,
Philippine History and Character Education were observed in schools. Passion
for work and dignity of labor was stressed. On February 27, 1945, the
Department of Instruction was now under the Department of Public Instruction.
Aside
from teaching Nippongo and using entirely pro-Japanese books and material at
all levels of education, the Japanese also showed movies and organized cultural
productions Performers such as singers and dancers were brought to the
Philippines together with painters, singers and scholars, so that the Filipinos
would acquire inspiration, love, sympathy, and the cooperation among them.
Filipinos were keen and did not just blindly believe the excessive promises of
the Japanese..
Education
– Present Period
Among
the three colonizers of the country, the Americans dominate. With English as
the medium of instruction, the Philippine education is a prototype of the
American system. Schools are categorized into public (government) or private
(non-government). The preparatory-primary level consists of nurseries,
kindergartens and preparatory schools offered in most private schools; moving
on to six years of primary education, followed by four years of secondary
education and college – meaning the general pattern of formal education has
four stages.
Generally,
college education takes four, rarely five years and in some cases, as in
medical and law schools, as long as eight years. Two or more years are added
for graduate schooling or schooling for advanced study, mainly offered to those
who have already attained a bachelor’s degree. Classes in the country start in
June and end in March the following year. Some colleges follow the two-semester
calendar namely: June-October and November-March while other universities, such
as De La Salle University, follow a tri-semester pattern. The first term starts
in May to August, followed by the second term on September to December and for
the third and final term is January to April in the new year. Foreign schools
are present with study programs similar to those of the local schools. In 2003,
the overall literacy rate was estimated to be 95.9 % for the total population,
96 % for males and 95.8 % for females. The majority (90 %) of all enrolments is
in vocational courses with a specific work goal, most of these are in Business
and Engineering, attracting over half of the student body (Estelle 1991). While
only 4 % of all the students are majoring in Humanities, Mathematics, Natural
and Social Sciences – the fundamentals of the arts and science curriculum in
most countries.