Current Trends and Issues in Philippine Education

Current Trends and Issues in PhilippineEducation Source: United Nations International Children Emergency Fund Issue © UNICEF Philippines/2008/Francia Achieing !asic primary education remains one o" the greatest challenges in the Philippines# UNICEF supports the Philippine $oernment%s thrust o" e&panding access to 'uality Early Childhood Care and (eelopment )ECC(* +hich includes promoting uniersal ,indergarten# -his is meant to contri!ute to+ards the achieement o" the education .($s / Uniersal Primary Education and $ender E'uality in 0asic Education# -he ECC( program addresses the long1standing concern +ith creating an e'uita!le plat"orm "or learning and proiding the !est start "or all children2 !y ensuring that eery Filipino child has access to some "orm o" ECC( and school readiness programs !e"ore# UNICEF2 in colla!oration +ith goernment and non1goernment partners2 supports ECC( initiaties and participates in promoting parental a+areness and appreciation o" the alue o" ECC(# UNICEF also promotes a holistic approach to early learning2 !ringing in many crucial child deelopment processes such as children%s actie participation through interactie learning and play2 health2 hygiene2 sanitation2 and oerall +ell1!eing as +ell as teachers% motiation2 and community support "or children%s sa"e and secure enironment# (espite recent goernment e3orts to improe the policy enironment2 e&pand access and enhance 'uality2 implementation gaps persist and signi4cant challenges remain# National statistics indicate that only 58 out o" 600 $rade 6 entrants hae 7indergarten e&perience# Among the 8 year olds2 +hich is the o9cial entry age to $rade 62 6:#; per cent are not in school and 2; per cent are still in preschool# <esearch sho+s that children +ho don%t start school at the right age are more li7ely to hae learning di9culties2 to repeat or drop out# .ost dropouts occur in $rades 6 and 2 +hich could indicate lac7 o" school readiness that is !est ensured !y attending 'uality ECC(# -he "actors that a3ect participation in early education include poerty= gender2 ethnicity2 lo+ leel o" a+areness o" the alue o" early childhood education= disa!ilities= long distance "rom school= threats o" dislocation among in"ormal settlers2 and e&posure to con>ict and natural disasters= and ur!an challenges# Action © UNICEF Philippines/2008/Francia UNICEF supports day care centers +here children?s learning is stimulated and readied "or primary school# In line +ith UNICEF%s thrust to "ocus on areas identi4ed !y $oernment as the most disadantaged2 the Education Program +ill !e implemented in selected municipalities and cities e&periencing one or com!inations o" ulnera!ilities2 such as e&treme ur!an poerty2 con>ict or natural disasters# -o ensure that e3orts are sustained and scaled up2 UNICEF +ill +or7 mainly +ith national goernment agencies in creating an ena!ling ECC( policy and programme enironment# UNICEF +ill also colla!orate +ith @$Us to demonstrate e3ectie ECC( serices and replicate these models# It +ill also +or7 +ith national and local goernment partners and the donor community to leerage resources "or 'uality ECC( serices# UNICEF%s support +ill !e "ramed !y the ne+ education structureAthe , to62 Program2 +hich is em!odied in the pac7age o" policy re"orms under the 0asic Education Bector <e"orm Agenda )0EB<A*# Priority interentions +ill assist $oernment to pursue an e'uity1"ocused approach to address disparities in education2 and promote rights1 and 7no+ledge1!ased education# UNICEF and its partners +ill deelop a system o" re"erral and interention starting at the community leel "or cases o" deelopmental disorders or early childhood disa!ilities# UNICEF +ill also +or7 on culture1responsie 7indergarten programs "or indigenous peoples2 and continue earlier +or7 on -ahderiyyahs in maCority .uslim communities# -his +ill address the holistic deelopment o" the Filipino child and enhance the use o" !oth indigenous and latest scienti4c innoations# UNICEF +ill also "ocus on improing the capacity o" the education system to address maCor !arriers2 scale1up tested and appropriate innoations2 deelop Coint mechanisms among 7ey sta7eholders2 and deelop an integrated school1community monitoring and ealuation systems# It also see7s to ensure that marginaliDed and e&cluded young children are ready to learn and enter school at the right age2 and that marginaliDed and e&cluded children participate in and complete 'uality elementary educationA!y "ocusing on deeloping children%s Ereadiness to learnF in pre1school= Elearning ho+ to learnF in the early grades= and ma&imiDing !asic opportunities to learn in the higher grades# Impact © UNICEF Philippines/2008/Francia UNICEF proides school pac7s and much1needed !oo7s "or children# Early childhood care and development • Increased participation o" G1; year old children in ECC( serices in nine "ocus areasA.ountain Proince2 .as!ate2 Eastern Bamar2 Northern Bamar2 North Cota!ato2 Barangani2 (aao City2 .aguindanao and .anilaAreaching a 8H#5: per cent gross enrolment rate in 2066# I Bi& o" nine @$Us hae issued policies increasing support and inestments "or ECC(# I Jer H2000 G1; year1old children "rom con>ict1 a3ected 0angsamoro communities are no+ attending culture1responsie ECC( serices in G6G -ahderiyyahs )Islamic preschools*# I UNICEF proided technical inputs to the "ollo+ing policiesK )a* <#A# 606;5AInstitutionaliDing ,indergarten ),$* education into the !asic education system )2062*= )!* (epE( Jrder 26 )2066*AImplementing the Uniersal ,indergarten ,$ Program= )c* (epE( Jrder 2G )2066*2 on the ,indergarten Bummer Program= and )d* (BL( Administratie Jrder 6;A$uidelines "or improed accreditation o" day care )early learning* centers and +or7ers# I UNICEF initiated adocacy to ensure a coherent curriculum and solid "oundation "or early learning# I @$U resources ma&imiDed to e&pand support to ECC( innoations )home1!ased ECC(2 EECC( on1 horse2F2 EECC( on +heels2F etc#*# Child-friendly school system • Esta!lished a net+or7 o" child1"riendly models in ;2G00 primary schools and 86 high schools nation+ide in 2: "ocus areas located in the three main islands o" @uDon2 Misayas and .indanao# I Esta!lished the Btudent -rac7ing Bystem )B-B* to enrich the Bchool1!ased .onitoring and Ealuation Frame+or7 "or 0EB<A# I (eeloped tools "or child1"riendly school practices "or teachers# I Improed community1school partnerships to adance child rights# I Contri!uted to the strengthening o" .adrasah Education through deelopment o" instructional materials# Education in Emergencies • Functional Education in Emergencies Cluster integrated into the National Emergency Clusters# I (uring emergencies2 ensure a holistic2 integrated response through technical assistance2 proision o" learning supplies and colla!oration +ith sectors such as Child Protection "or psychosocial support and Later2 Banitation and Nygiene )LABN* "or LABN in schools# In the con>ict a3ected areas2 help esta!lish learning institutions )ECC( centers and schools* as Oones o" Peace# I Contri!uted to the strengthening the capacity o" the (epartment o" Education in disaster ris7 reduction )(<<* and preparedness# ,EP IBBUEB IN PNI@IPPINE E(UCA-IJN @iteracy rate in the Philippines has improed a lot oer the last "e+ years1 "rom 52 percent in 6H80 to H: percent in 6HH0# -his is attri!uted to the increase in !oth the num!er o" schools !uilt and the leel o" enrollment in these schools# -he num!er o" schools gre+ rapidly in all three leels 1 elementary2 secondary2 and tertiary# From the mid16H80s up to the early 6HH02 there +as an increase o" ;8 percent in the elementary schools and G82 percent in the tertiary schools# For the same period2 enrollment in all three leels also rose !y 620 percent# .ore than H0 percent o" the elementary schools and 80 percent o" the secondary schools are pu!licly o+ned# No+eer2 only 28 percent o" the tertiary schools are pu!licly o+ned# A !ig percentage o" tertiary1leel students enroll in and 4nish commerce and !usiness management courses# -a!le 6 sho+s the distri!ution o" courses ta7en2 !ased on Bchool Pear 6HH016HH6# Note that the di3erence !et+een the num!er o" enrollees in the commerce and !usiness courses and in the engineering and technology courses may !e small 1 2H#2 percent "or commerce and !usiness and 20#G percent "or engineering and technology# No+eer2 the gap +idens in terms o" the num!er o" graduates "or the said courses# TABE !: TE"TIA"# E$"%&E$T A$' ("A')ATI%$ B# *IE' %* ST)'#+ S# !,,-- !,,! *IE' %* ST)'# E$"%&E$ T ("A')ATI%$ No# Q No# Q Arts and Bciences 6H82566 6:#8 2H2H8 6 6G#8 -eacher -raining R Education 2:22828 68#0 G:225 H 6;#; Engineering R -echnology 25G2:08 20#G G22:0 2 6:#5 .edical and Nealth 1 related Programs 65822;2 6G#6 G:288 8 6;#8 Commerce/0usines s .anagement GH22H;8 2H#2 5H282 5 G8#6 Agriculture2 Forestry2 Fishery2 and Meterinary .edicine :G2:;8 G#2 52GH0 G#G @a+ 202:0; 6#; 22666 6#0 <eligion / -heology 628H; 0#6 20H 0#6 -J-A@ 62G:525 6; 600# 0 22620 :5 600#0 Jn gender distri!ution2 "emale students hae ery high representation in all three leels# At the elementary leel2 male and "emale students are almost e'ually represented# 0ut "emale enrollment e&ceeds that o" the male at the secondary and tertiary leels # Also2 !oys hae higher rates o" "ailures2 dropouts2 and repetition in !oth elementary and secondary leels# Aside "rom the num!ers presented a!oe2 +hich are impressie2 there is also a need to loo7 closely and resole the "ollo+ing important issuesK 6* quality of education 2*afordability of education G* goverment budget for education; and :* education mismatch# 6# .uality 1 -here +as a decline in the 'uality o" the Philippine education2 especially at the elementary and secondary leels# For e&ample2 the results o" standard tests conducted among elementary and high school students2 as +ell as in the National College o" Entrance E&amination "or college students2 +ere +ay !elo+ the target mean score# 2# A/orda0ility 1 -here is also a !ig disparity in educational achieements across social groups# For e&ample2 the socioeconomically disadantaged students hae higher dropout rates2 especially in the elementary leel# And most o" the "reshmen students at the tertiary leel come "rom relatiely +ell1o3 "amilies# G# Budget 1 -he Philippine Constitution has mandated the goernment to allocate the highest proportion o" its !udget to education# No+eer2 the Philippines still has one o" the lo+est !udget allocations to education among the ASEA$ countries# :# &ismatch 1 -here is a large proportion o" SmismatchS !et+een training and actual Co!s# -his is the maCor pro!lem at the tertiary leel and it is also the cause o" the e&istence o" a large group o" educated unemployed or underemployed# The following are some of the reforms proposed: 6# Upgrade the teachers? salary scale# -eachers hae !een underpaid= thus there is ery little incentie "or most o" them to ta7e up adanced trainings# 2# Amend the current system o" !udgeting "or education across regions2 +hich is !ased on participation rates and units costs# -his clearly "aors the more deeloped regions# -here is a need to proide more allocation to lagging regions to narro+ the disparity across regions# G# Btop the current practice o" su!sidiDing state uniersities and colleges to enhance access# -his may not !e the !est +ay to promote e'uity# An e&panded scholarship program2 giing more "ocus and priority to the poor2 may!e more e'uita!le# :# $et all the leaders in !usiness and industry to !ecome actiely inoled in higher education= this is aimed at addressing the mismatch pro!lem# In addition2 carry out a selectie admission policy2 i#e#2 installing mechanisms to reduce enrollment in oersu!scri!ed courses and promoting enrollment in undersu!scri!ed ones# ;# (eelop a rationaliDed apprenticeship program +ith heay inputs "rom the priate sector# Furthermore2 trans"er the control o" technical training to industry groups +hich are more attuned to the needs o" !usiness and industry