PanPacific University North Philippines
Urdaneta City, Pangasinan
1st Semester SY 2011-2012
Danilo C. Siquig Jr. June 30, 2011
AB English IV Creative Writing
The “Q.A.G.E” Set-up of the Philippine Educational System
(An Essay on the Philippine Educational System)
When I was taking up the subject “Contemporary Philosophy”, I remember my professor telling us these lines; “the economic development of a nation is a function of the quality of its education. In other words: the more and better educated a people, the greater the chances of economic development.” Thus, if we will look and examine the situation of our Philippine educational system, from its history and current status, we may say that it is in the lowest level of greatness and effectivity. With 95 per cent of all elementary students attending public schools, the educational crisis in the Philippines is basically a crisis of public education. The wealthy can easily send their offspring to private schools, many of which offer first-class education to the privileged class of pupils. In addition to these facts, here are some important figures that people - most especially parents, teachers, and decision makers - must know about our country’s educational system. Having some knowledge of this figure should give people a better picture of the things that have been done (and what needs to be done) in the country's educational system.
25.7 million – Number of students in elementary and high school who have attended the June 6 school opening
22.05 million – Students in public schools
3.65 million – Students in private schools
15.47 million – Total number of students in elementary (private and public)
7.73 million – Total number of students in high school (private and public)
283,000 – Total number of young people attending via alternative learning systems (ALS)
1.93 million -- Children enrolled in the 'universal' kindergarten program
P207.3 billion – 2011 budget for education, the biggest ever set for the country’s basic education, and 18.5% higher than the previous year.
2.6% -- Percentage of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) that is put in basic education.
7% -- Global budget standard set for basic education coming from a country’s GDP.
94% -- Male literacy rate from 15 to 24 years old (as of 2008)
96% -- Female literacy rate from 15 to 24 years old (as of 2008)
The facts and figures above shows the realities that transpire our Philippine Educational System. The number of enrollees is high and it is bulging every school year and now the question is, “What is the condition or set-up of our Q.A.G.E in the Philippine educational set-up---- Q (Quality of education) A (Affordability of education) G (Government budget for education) E (Education mismatch)? How effective the Philippines is when it comes to education? Does the Philippine government do its job in curing the dilemmas that kept ruin our students and parents? Let’s have a closer look at the Q.A.G.E set-up of Philippine education.
The Q.A.G.E Set-up of Philippine Education
First, the Q (Quality of education) in the Philippine republic declined especially at the elementary and secondary levels. For example, the results of standard tests conducted among elementary and high school students, as well as in the National College of Entrance Examination for College students, were way below the target mean score. As I browse the net, I see this fact;
“National Achievement Test results showed the mean percentage score of high school students dropping from an already disappointing 49.26 percent in school year 2007-2008 to 47.40 percent the next year and a dismal 46.30 percent in 2009-2010. The mean score for the elementary level, although registering a slight increase, was just as disheartening, at 64.81 percent in the school year 2007-08, 66.33 percent in 2008-09, and 69.21 percent in 2009-2010.” (www.philstar.com)
The problem was recognized years ago and the government has since undertaken various initiatives to stop the deterioration in the quality of Philippine education. Some progress has been made, but results of local competency tests and studies comparing academic performance of students from different countries show that more effort is needed to raise the quality of education in the Philippines.
Secondly, the A or the affordability of education, in this aspect, there is also a big disparity in educational achievements across social groups. For example, the socioeconomically disadvantaged students have higher dropout rates, especially in the elementary level, and most of the freshmen students at the tertiary level come from relatively well off-families. That is why many children from the outskirts society do not have interest in going to school because they believe that schooling is only for those people who are socioeconomically advantageous. They believe in the slogan that “Education is only for the rich.”
Thirdly, the G (Government budget for education) is one of the lowest budget allocations among the ASEAN countries. Despite of the fact that the Aquino administration prioritized the education department by giving the highest budget allocation for the year 2011, the remainder is still there. We are far away behind other ASEAN countries. We are the lowest allocator of budget in education in the Southeast land. As per consequence, there are still the problems of, inefficient classrooms, textbooks, chairs, tables, and other school facilities that must acquire by every Filipino student.
Lastly, the E (Education mismatch) in the Philippine educational system is also in large proportion between training and actual jobs. This is the major problem at the tertiary level and it is also the cause of the existence of a large group of educated unemployed or underemployed. To say, “Theory without practice is nothing” (Gonzales, 1993). As an example, recently, the nursing course here in the Philippines is on the study of dissolving as one of the major courses in the Philippine tertiary level. This is because of the higher rate of unemployed nursing graduates every school year.
My Personal Stand and Suggestion on the Philippine’s Q.A.G.E Set-up.
Personally, I believe that it’s never too late for the Philippines. However, the action must take place now. I believe that there is really a great need for an educational reform in the Philippines. We should never compromise the aspect of education because it is a necessity to every Filipino student. The government must step into actions that are not only confided in words but most especially in action. I believe that the government must not practice the “culture of compromise” especially on the aspect of education. Thus, to suggest these dilemmas and problems that seems like to be a cycle each year, here are my suggestions; First, Upgrade the teachers' salary scale. Teachers have been underpaid; thus there is very little incentive for most of them to take up advanced trainings. Second, amend the current system of budgeting for education across regions, which is based on participation rates and units costs. This clearly favors the more developed regions. There is a need to provide more allocation to lagging regions to narrow the disparity across regions. Third, stop the current practice of subsidizing state universities and colleges to enhance access. This may not be the best way to promote equity. An expanded scholarship program, giving more focus and priority to the poor, maybe more equitable. Fourth, get all the leaders in business and industry to become actively involved in higher education; this is aimed at addressing the mismatch problem. In addition, carry out a selective admission policy, i.e., installing mechanisms to reduce enrollment in oversubscribed courses and promoting enrollment in undersubscribed ones. Fifth, develop a rationalized apprenticeship program with heavy inputs from the private sector. Furthermore, transfer the control of technical training to industry groups which are more attuned to the needs of business and industry.
In the end, the Philippine educational system particularly its Q.A.G.E aspect is in high risk. To say, “it is a decaying culture that must be cured” (Santos, 1995). The quality of Philippine education is declining with its low results of standard tests. The affordability of Philippine education seems like only bound to socioeconomically advantage persons. The Philippine budget allocation is one of the lowest in the Southeast Asia. The mismatch of Philippine education is on large proportion. For all of these troubles, I believe that the Philippine government should do something. I believe that, the nation must not only stop the deterioration in the quality of education but also raise it to world-class standards. As studies and international competitions in recent years have shown, Filipino students are lagging behind many of their Asian counterparts in academic performance. The country used to be the regional leader in education, with Asians coming to the Philippines to learn everything from English proficiency to agriculture and business management. It’s not too late for the Philippines to regain that lead. To end up my essay allow me to express a very popular slogan; “Education is the key to Success” (if and then we give importance high consideration on it).
I. References
3. Gonzales, E. (1993). Labor Freedom. France: Gonzales Press
4. Santos, R. (1995). Culture of Education. USA: Grant Printing Press
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