Education in the Philippines
 

I have given this topic a broad church title as others may have their own views and stories on the state of education in the Philippines.

I think most of us have been in the Philippines long enough to know that the education system here is sadly lacking.

I am currently sponsoring a 19 yr old to undertake a 4 yr college course and have been doing so since late last year. It is Hotel and Restaurant management and when she graduates wishes to become Airline cabin crew or into the hotel trade.

I am somewhat incredulous on how this particular course is run. Her first week or so was spent studying the life and times of a somewhat famous Filipino... never heard of him before and cannot remember the name. No connection whatsoever with her proposed subject. However she passed the examination.

The teacher frequently calls the students (about 40) in total to ad-hoc classes at a moments notice.

Her courses are 50/50 on line or face to face. Don't understand why.

On more than one occasion, the teacher messaged her pupils to have a ballot on whether they want to attend the next class or postpone it for no given reason. Normally the night before.

Classes frequently start late....and therefore end late leaving frustrated parents outside wondering what's going on. Some pupils miss the last bus home in the evening.

On one occasion, she left to go to her class and returned about an hour later. Reason? The teacher messaged her that the class was cancelled because it was a public holiday.

I note that she is now studying on how to read music as part of the curriculum....??

She is a member of the college volleyball team and when the team is playing, no-one is permitted to leave the college until the last game is played. Much to the chagrin of those waiting outside to transport their kids home, nor allowed into the grounds.

And best of all which prompted me to write this article..... She is currently undergoing exams all this week and was sent home because she was exempt from her exam on bar tendering because her team won at volleyball! She was up until 1.00 am studying for that exam and was disappointed that she could not take the exam.

There are a few other examples of how ridiculous this college operates but I think you get my drift....

Re: Education in the Philippines
 

Seems like good training on how to be subservient!

Re: Education in the Philippines
 

Obviously the volleyball team and their performance is seen as very important there. Might it be so as to distract from the low quality of the courses?

Most of my indirect education experience here is from the school level. From the late 80s on. Certainly many strange things go on. Eg Completed student homework routinely given out by one teacher to selected students for marking!

I'm presently helping a boy in his final year graduate from High School. Back to normal but he is being given hardly any homework. When I think back to 3 subjects a night plus weekend.

Next year he has to go to college as there are no jobs he would want or could compete for. Where we live the public college is overcrowded but it says you can apply, take an exam and if you pass you can enroll......providing students already there drop out! So only option private.

I have noticed over the years with schooling that standards can differ greatly between institutions.Quite good in the main high school in a city in one province I became familiar with. But when my step daughter transferred to a private school in Manila she said standards were lower. Her daughter is now in a top Manila private school. Good teachers and strictly applied standards, though maybe too much homework and too many exams.

But common factors here with all schools are crowded classes (even in private schools), cluttered curricula and from an early age pressure to engage in , attend mandatory activities....quizzes, sports, dancing etc. The religious schools spend of course a lot of time on religion. Many special days and masses. Despite that many parents send their kids to them for the better education they provide though.One large private school actually closed down for nearly two weeks in term time to hold a bishop's convention for the RC sect in charge there.

The pandemic meant private schools here have lost their appeal to both parents and teachers, so presumably the state schools now have better teachers applying but even larger classes to cope with in some places.

How do these institutions get away with it? The Dep Ed is a large body and I suspect its regional offices are as varied in standard as are the schools. Education gets the largest budget but given the number of students it should do and it's not nearly enough. The school curriculum needs to be slimmed down but only minor changes are now proposed from the Secretary of Education. Politicians keep calling to add more subjects...lately muslim studies, mandarin, even transport. Local language teaching being pushed in the nationalist agenda. Military training was going to be added but is now proposed for all college students instead.

According to Wikipedia public colleges can be accredited by the AACCUP or the ALCUCCOA. Under the umbrella of the NNQAA. Whereas private colleges have 3 agencies...the PAASCU, the PACUCOA or the ACSCU-AAI (Christian option). There are nearly 100 institutions, including most of the top universities, which have been granted autonomous status and so are not subject to any accreditation at all
Get it?

Re: Education in the Philippines
 

Thanks Raffin for your interesting and very comprehensive reply...

In my humble opinion, the government of any country main priorities should be defence, health and education in that order.

But education I feel must begin at home...and that doesn't appear to happen. But that is no excuse for the poor educational standards in this country taking into consideration that this is a developing country.

The curriculum of this particular college appears to be baulked out over 4 years maybe to garner more fees and keep people in jobs but that's my cynical view.

But the new head of Department of Education has a huge challenge on her hands. I wish her well for the good of this country.

Re: Education in the Philippines
 

A huge challenge, yes! I had my doubts about what she can do when she said to a Senate committee that she had asked the President for P100bn extra budget for each of her 6 years.Then she could "fix all the problems of basic education".The sector gets about 700 now. Much more than that would be needed to raise what the country now allocates to a level which is recommended in a long term plan of the Dep Ed ....6% of GDP. Now about 4%. Marcos didn't give it to her. Perhaps because she didn't say what she means by "fix"? Or he sees her as a rival for 2028?

She's not an education specialist and I suspect she thought she could raise her profile by taking on another government position. As the last one found out being VP is not enough to get the votes if you run for President.

She will present a reformed K-12 in July. Promising more concentration on basics in the early years and better preparation for employment in year 12. Now students get sent out to see the world of work. The boy here now spends every Friday in a local resto for 12 weeks. Along with 5 classmates. He's already waited at tables and was paid P200 for doing so. I am waiting to see how the placement is integrated with the curriculum and what he will learn about business. Apart from how to deal with customers.

PS Transport strike. No learning taking place for a few days. Here the Cavite governor announced "asynchronous classes". That means back to the paper modules here. We await details from the school.. But how do people get to schools to collect the modules?