Republic of the Philippines

PHILIPPINE NORMAL UNIVERSITY

The National Center for teacher education
MINDANAO
The Multicultural Education Hub

Name: Demmy Rose C. Espina BPHE II Critical Essay

Professor: Honey Jaysa R. Antigua Course Title: The Teacher
and the School Curriculum

The Philippine Educational Landscape: Then and Now

The past educational system of the Philippines has undertaken numerous alterations,
adjustments and development right before the Spanish colonization up to the present. It was not
until the Spanish colonization that access to education by the Filipinos was later liberalized
through providing establishments although that time, education was inadequate, suppressed
and controlled. When the Americans defeated the Spaniards, the education system changed in
many ways. An adequate secularized and free public school system was established and
English language was used as a medium of instruction in schools. Under the Japanese regime,
the teaching of Tagalog, Philippine History, and Character Education was reserved for Filipinos.
Love for work and dignity of labor was emphasized. There had been major shift and a lot of
improvements until such time when the Philippines gained its freedom. The various colonizers
have great influences that shaped the educational system we have currently.
The world is changing so fast that is why there is also a need for meaningful change in the
educational system to cope with the societal changes and technological progress. We cannot be
stagnant and it’s the same way in lieu of the education system we have. I agree that the
Philippine educational system is gradually improving especially now that the new curriculum has
been established by the government. It helps us to cope up with the world’s standards to raise
the value of education. It has paved way to mold students to become college ready, competent,
and prepared for employment. Even the President himself is fully aware of how these changed
brought a massive improvement in the Philippine education system. During his SONA last July,
Duterte stated that in our attempt to accelerate the human capital development, we should
ensure lifelong opportunities by enhancing quality and access to education and training
programs. We have sustained investments in higher education and committed to the full
implementation of the “K to 12” basic education program. That is why he decided to support the
program and pledged to fully implement during his predecessor’s term.

Prior to the implementation of theK-12 curriculum guide, the Philippines was one of only three
countries in the world and the only one in Asia that still had only 10 years in basic education.
The old curriculum which is the Basic Education Curriculum in which students lack mastery of
basic competencies due to congested ten-year basic education curriculum. Graduates of the old
curriculum are younger than 18 years old and are not legally ready to get a job or start a business.
Foreign countries perceive a ten-year curriculum as insufficient. They do not automatically
recognize Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) as professionals abroad.