Philippines overhauls basic education system

[joebloggs]

MANILA: The Philippines is overhauling its basic education system as it aims to improve the quality of Filipino high school graduates.

Under the government's new K plus 12 basic education program, Filipino students will have to undergo mandatory kindergarten, six years of elementary education, four years of junior high school called Grades 7 to 10, and two years of senior high school to be called Grades 11 to 12.

The education department believes adding two years to the present 10-year basic education cycle is an essential reform to put the country's public education system comparable and competitive with other countries.

Armin Luistro, Secretary of the Department of Education, said: "It's because the whole world has moved into a 12 year basic education system and we're the only one of three in the world and the only one in Asia that has retained the ten years (curriculum). I think we should have done this yesterday in terms of being at par with the rest of the world."

But critics said the additional two years will only be an added burden to poor students who can hardly graduate from high school.

Raymond Palatino, who is a representative from Youth Partylist, said: "Out of 100 students who enter Grade 1, only 66 will finish Grade 6 and only 42 will finish high school. Students are dropping out mainly because of economic reasons. Many are forced to work or help their family. If many of our students are unable to reach high school, wouldn't it add to the dropout rates in the Philippines if two more years are to be added? Wouldn't it worsen inequality in Philippine society?"

read more here http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stori...211225/1/.html

[CBM]

Good and necessary move, but without the RH Bill it cannot suceed; only when people have fewer children and spend more on each child will the Philippines be able to progress as it should.

[raynaputi]

yeah it started this school year I heard..also another thing, teachers now are told by DepEd (Department of Education) to teach all the subjects in the local dialect (not in English whether it's Math or Science) from kinder to 3rd grade...they said it's so that the students would learn it better..I don't think that's a good idea.. I'm not sure if it's just in public schools or even in private schools. They are just expecting kids these days are incompetent. I remember I can clearly understand the lessons taught to me even at Kindergarten. I don't know..it's not a good move in my view..but the K12 system looks promising to me..

[grahamw48]

I thought my children were being educated quite competently out there, in their smallish private school.

I don't think the teachers liked me correcting THEIR grammar in my kids' homework questions though.

Another thing...the pupils might be able to concentrate more if they weren't half asleep through being expected to start school at such an ungodly hour.

[lastlid]

Raymond Palatino, who is a representative from Youth Partylist, said: "Out of 100 students who enter Grade 1, only 66 will finish Grade 6 and only 42 will finish high school. Students are dropping out mainly because of economic reasons. Many are forced to work or help their family. If many of our students are unable to reach high school, wouldn't it add to the dropout rates in the Philippines if two more years are to be added? Wouldn't it worsen inequality in Philippine society?"

Thats daft. They need to aim high. So a good idea, I say.

( BTW My wifes sister teaches at a state school in Cavite and she tells me there are 60 in her class. )

[CBM]

yeah it started this school year I heard..also another thing, teachers now are told by DepEd (Department of Education) to teach all the subjects in the local dialect (not in English whether it's Math or Science) from kinder to 3rd grade...they said it's so that the students would learn it better..I don't think that's a good idea.. I'm not sure if it's just in public schools or even in private schools. They are just expecting kids these days are incompetent. I remember I can clearly understand the lessons taught to me even at Kindergarten. I don't know..it's not a good move in my view..but the K12 system looks promising to me..

I agree - its actually easier for a child to acquire a second language earlier, rather than later, so asking children to switch to English as the language of tuition in third grade is harder for them than if they start English in kindergarten. This is a poorly thought out move.

[lastlid]

I thought my children were being educated quite competently out there, in their smallish private school.

I don't think the teachers liked me correcting THEIR grammar in my kids' homework questions though.

Another thing...the pupils might be able to concentrate more if they weren't half asleep through being expected to start school at such an ungodly hour.

Or the americanisms......

[lastlid]

Good and necessary move, but without the RH Bill it cannot suceed; only when people have fewer children and spend more on each child will the Philippines be able to progress as it should.

Good point.

[CBM]

Thats daft. They need to aim high. So a good idea, I say.

( BTW My wifes sister teaches at a state school in Cavite and she tells me there are 60 in her class. )

Yes, that's daft.

Mr Palatino is a fine, and very typical, specimen of the Left in Philippine Politics ... as discussed recently!

Here's his reasoning in full, from his party's website - you'll notice reason number four "it benefits foreign employers" and that most comments disagree with him

http://kabataanpartylist.com/blog/on...more-problems/

He is in the middle of a climb down, having unwisely introduced a Bill banning religious symbols from schools and Government offices, the Philippines isn't the States and he made a lot of enemies, to no useful purpose.

http://kabataanpartylist.com/

[somebody]

I thought my children were being educated quite competently out there, in their smallish private school.

I don't think the teachers liked me correcting THEIR grammar in my kids' homework questions though.

Another thing...the pupils might be able to concentrate more if they weren't half asleep through being expected to start school at such an ungodly hour.

Yeah one of the Wifes Younger cousins wakes at 4am or earlier somedays and is fully into her school day by 6am thats just crazy. Or is it to get them used to Call centre working hours

[somebody]

Hmmm when re reading that the two more years might not make much difference to many if they only taught in what seems a parrot fashion (from what i see from young relatives in pinas) very few of them seem to be taught to think for themselves and also stand up and have their own opinions and thoughts on a matter while expressing them. I am sure it stops the general population uprisng and kicking the higher echelons of phill soceitey but also holds back plenty of their workers.

Never surprised when with phills that they have no suggestions or thoughts on how they can improve a situation or process we are facing. Yet when they need to out of necessity they have the most ingenious ideas. But typically the house needs to be burning down or some other extreme situation before they will react

Empower your people pinas and you will motor forward

[lastlid]

Hmmm when re reading that the two more years might not make much difference to many if they only taught in what seems a parrot fashion (from what i see from young relatives in pinas) very few of them seem to be taught to think for themselves and also stand up and have their own opinions and thoughts on a matter while expressing them. I am sure it stops the general population uprisng and kicking the higher echelons of phill soceitey but also holds back plenty of their workers.

Never surprised when with phills that they have no suggestions or thoughts on how they can improve a situation or process we are facing. Yet when they need to out of necessity they have the most ingenious ideas. But typically the house needs to be burning down or some other extreme situation before they will react

Empower your people pinas and you will motor forward

If so then teaching methods can be adjusted....

( There is a school of thought that says that rote has its place but in limited quantities. )

[CBM]

The state education system is seriously under funded (JP Enrile has just made the useful suggestion that the education budget be cut to increasse defence spending...!) teachers are badly paid, class sizes are large, and the curriculum is set nationally and is a boring as hell, with vast tracts of rote learning.

The compulsory paper on Rizal, for example, has the opposite effect t what is intended - it turns students off him. Now we have the brilliant idea that children can be taught in their local language, which will destroy the Philippines one remaining advantage - fluency in English.

It's a mess. But IF the Government can get the taxes in it can improve it.

[lastlid]

The state education system is seriously under funded (JP Enrile has just made the useful suggestion that the education budget be cut to increasse defence spending...!) teachers are badly paid, class sizes are large, and the curriculum is set nationally and is a boring as hell, with vast tracts of rote learning.

The compulsory paper on Rizal, for example, has the opposite effect t what is intended - it turns students off him. Now we have the brilliant idea that children can be taught in their local language, which will destroy the Philippines one remaining advantage - fluency in English.

It's a mess. But IF the Government can get the taxes in it can improve it.

But IF the Government can get the taxes in it can improve it.

And population growth in check.

[CBM]

The early start to the school day does make sense - the idea is that classes are over before the day gets too hot, so everyone can go home for a siesta. I remember attending a school with the same hours in what was then a part of the British Empire....

[lastlid]

The early start to the school day does make sense - the idea is that classes are over before the day gets too hot, so everyone can go home for a siesta. I remember attending a school with the same hours in what was then a part of the British Empire....

They do that in places like Spain, do they not?

[CBM]

I didn't know that! Anyway, it does make sense. a child cannot learn much if he or she is hot, sticky and tired.

The Sprog has just started kindergarten and Kay went to her first PTA meeting, not knowing what to expect... "You will be asked for money for something!" sez I.

Sure enough - 500 pesos, per child for fans! Fair enough.

[lastlid]

They do that in places like Spain, do they not?

That was wrong, but they have an extended lunch break during the hottest part of the day. So they deal with the heat in a slightly different way.

[grahamw48]

I did 3 years schooling in Singapore.

Many schools in the Phils have a 'shift' system anyway...certainly the one my kids attended did.