Dominais, Maribeth

MaEd-AS

FINAL EXAMINATION
IN COMPARATIVE EDUCATION
Discuss briefly
1. Describe the Philippine Educational System terms of:
1.1 Organizational Structure
- The organizational structure of the Philippine educational system is
divided into 3:
1. Primary Education (Kindergarten to Grade 6 level)
2. Secondary Education (Junior High School and Senior High School)
3. Tertiary (College level)
1.2 Curriculum
- The 10-year basic education curriculum (BEC) of the Philippines
was changed into K-12 Curriculum in order to comply with the
international standards. With the change of the curriculum,
kindergarten is compulsory in order for the students to be
admitted in Grade 1. Secondary level consists of 6-years,
wherein it was divided into two levels; the Junior High School for
Grade 7-10 (JHS) and Senior High School for Grade 11-12
(SHS). Each student in Senior High School can choose among
three tracks: Academic; Technical-Vocational-Livelihood; and
Sports and Arts. The Academic track includes three strands:
Business, Accountancy, Management (BAM); Humanities,
Education, Social Sciences (HESS); and Science, Technology,
Engineering, Mathematics (STEM). Tertiary level consists of four
years or five years to finish bachelor degree.
1.3 Instructional Standards
- Mother Tongue is the medium of instruction in kindergarten up to
grade 3 in the K-12 Curriculum. The instructional materials in all
subjects were also written using mother tongue. The science
behind using mother tongue in instruction is to develop the
comprehension of the students in the early stage of their
learning. Kindergarten students were taught basic learnings such
alphabet, numbers, colors and shapes through games, songs
and dances, still in their Mother Tongue. Grade 4 and above
were now introduced in learning the subjects using English
medium. The K-12 program differs in its predecessors’
 curriculum since it uses spiral progression. It means that as early
as elementary years, students learn the subjects such as
Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Algebra. Those mentioned
subjects were only taught in Secondary level during the BEC.
The subjects were taught in simplest concepts and becomes
complicated as the grade level progress. The curriculum is
relevant to the learners as it contextualizes its activities and
discussion. The curriculum content sticks to the culture of their
locality, history and reality.
1.4 Distance Learning
- Distance education is traditionally defined as, any educational or
learning procedure in which the guide and the student are
separated geographically. There is no interaction between
students. The following are the type of distance learning in the
Philippines:
1. Synchronous
Synchronous distance learning: Learning by chatting online,
teleconferencing and sitting in a classroom. This type of learning
offers less flexibility and affects the student’s life to an extent. It is,
nevertheless, the most popular form of distance learning and
continuing education programs, as it makes interaction between
students and professors easy.
Synchronous learning is best suited for degree programs that draw
attention to communication, such as nursing, counseling
psychology, general psychology, and general education.
2. Asynchronous
Asynchronous distance learning typically has set weekly time limit,
but otherwise provides the students with the freedom to work at
their own free will. Students have more communication with other
fellow students and communicate through online notice boards.
Asynchronous learning might get difficult at times because for the
students the only information received text medium. However, in
some classes, video or audio option is also available.
Programs dominated by assignments and projects work well in
asynchronous format because they provide the students with more
time to focus on their work. Degree programs that work well in this
format include healthcare administration, marketing,
educational/instructional media design, legal assistant or paralegal
and advertising.
3. Hybrid Distance Learning
Hybrid or Blended courses are a combination of synchronous and
asynchronous learning. Hybrid learning courses are in which the
 students are required to be available at fixed time in the Internet
chat room or classroom. Though, the students are allowed to
complete assignments at their own pace and later submit them
online.

4. Computer Based Distance Learning

Computer based learning; here the students are required to
assemble in a computer lab or in a classroom at a fixed time.
2. Describe the distinct/special features of the following countries in terms of
organizational structure, curriculum, admission of students, and instructional standards
which you think would improve the quality of education of the Philippines
2.1 Australia
 organizational structure
- The Australian education system is broadly structured as follows:
1. primary school: seven or eight years, starting at Foundation (also
called
2. kindergarten/preparatory/pre-school) through to Year 6 or 7
3. secondary school: four years from Years 7 or 8 to 10
4. senior secondary school: two years from Years 11 to 12
5. tertiary education: includes higher education and vocational
education and training (VET).

 Curriculum
1. Australia implemented Australia Curriculum. The Australian Curriculum3
has been described as three-dimensional in structure. This structure is
based on eight learning areas, seven general capabilities and three cross-
curriculum priorities.
The prime structural dimension is the eight learning areas:

1. English;

2. Mathematics;

3. Science;

4. Humanities and Social Sciences (including the subject areas of

History, Geography, Civics and Citizenship and Economics and
Business);

5. Health and Physical Education;

 6. Languages (with 14 different foreign language curricula, a
framework for over 250 Aboriginal languages and Torres Strait
Islander languages and three other languages currently being
finalised);

7. Technologies (including the subject areas of Design and

Technology and Digital Technologies); and

8. The Arts (including the subject areas of Dance, Drama, Media Arts,
Music and Visual Arts).

Embedded in the content of these learning areas are the seven general
capabilities. These capabilities, which are skills, values and dispositions
considered essential for students to acquire for the 21st Century, have
been incorporated into the curriculum content of learning areas and
subject areas, where relevant, based on learning progressions developed
for each of the capabilities. The seven capabilities are:

1. Literacy;

2. Numeracy;

3. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability;

4. Critical and Creative Thinking;

5. Personal and Social Capability;

6. Ethical Understanding; and

7. Intercultural Understanding.

The third dimension, again embedded in the content of the learning areas,
is the Cross-Curriculum Priorities. Three areas were identified as priorities.

1. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures;

2. Asia and Australia's Engagement with Asia; and
3. Sustainability.

 Admission of students
2. School in Australia begins with six years of primary education (years 1-6)
followed by six years of high school (years 7-12). Students normally begin
Primary School at age 5 and finish high school around 17-18 years old.
 Graduates who successfully complete Years 11 and 12 receive a High
School Certificate or “HSC” (comparable to a Baccalaureate or German
“Abitur”) and can proceed to tertiary education (university or college). Each
student’s HSC performance is ranked with a score from 1 (highest) to 25
(lowest), depending on subject combination and results. Most Australian
universities set a minimum HSC score for student admission.
 Instructional standards

3. Achievement standards for each learning area or subject describe the

learning expected of students at each year level or band of years. Each
achievement standard is described in two paragraphs. Typically, the first
paragraph describes what students are expected to understand, and the
second paragraph describes what students are expected to be able to do
having been taught the curriculum content. The set of achievement
standards for each learning area or subject describe a broad sequence of
expected learning.

The achievement standard for each year level or band should be read as a
whole (that is, the ‘understanding’ and ‘skills’ paragraphs are read together)
and in the context of what is to be taught (content descriptions) for that year
or band. The achievement standards provide a clear description of student
learning and are, therefore, a useful starting point or driver for the
development of teaching and learning programs. The achievement standard
also allows teachers to monitor student learning and to make judgements
about student progress and achievement. For each learning area or subject,
the achievement standards are accompanied by portfolios of annotated work
samples that illustrate the expected learning for each year level or band.

In addition to the subject-specific achievement standards, new learning area

achievement standards have been provided for Humanities and Social
Sciences, The Arts and Technologies. The default view for Technologies and
The Arts is the subject-specific achievement standard; to view the learning
area achievement standard select the link at the end of the achievement
standard. The default view for Humanities and Social Sciences is  the
learning area achievement standard; to view the subject-specific
achievement standard select the link at the end of the achievement
standard. State and territory school and curriculum authorities determine the
reporting requirements for their schools and should be consulted about
whether learning area or subject-specific achievement standards are to be
used for reporting.
2.2 Canada
 organizational structure
- Although it varies from province to province, in general,
Canadians must attend school until the age of 16, and it is
comprised of four levels
1. Pre-elementary (Kindergarten)
2. Primary (Grade 1 to Grade 6 level)
3. Secondary (Junior High School and Senior high School)
4. Post-Secondary Education (College and University)
 curriculum
- Canada does not have a national curriculum; rather, the
provincial governments are responsible for establishing the
curriculum for their schools, and each province has its own,
ministry-established common curriculum.

 admission of students
1. Pre-elementary
Pre-elementary or ‘kindergarten’ is the first stage of education in Canada
and are offered to children between the ages of four to five before they
start elementary school
2. Primary
Primary education or elementary school is Canada is mandatory for
children, starting in grade 1, generally at the ages of 6 or 7, and goes until
grade 6 at the ages of 11 to 12 years old.
3. Secondary
Secondary education in Canada has two levels: junior high school and
high school. Junior high school or intermediate education follows
immediately after completion of elementary school. It’s a two-year stage of
education that includes grades 7 and 8.
4. Post- Secondary Education
University in Canada is a place for higher education where academic
degrees can be obtained in a wide variety of subjects in a similar structure
to that of the United States, starting with a bachelor’s degree, then a
master’s degree, and finally a PhD as the highest level of education.

 instructional standards
- Since Canada does not have a national curriculum; rather, the
provincial governments are responsible for establishing the
curriculum for their schools, and each province has its own,
ministry-established common curriculum, instructional strategies
 varies from provincial governments. In addition to traditional
compulsory subjects such as language, math, science, social
studies and art, all provinces include citizenship education in the
curriculum at both the primary and secondary levels. Many
provinces have chosen to also incorporate elective subjects such
as business and financial education.

2.3 Finland
 organizational structure
- The Finnish education system consists of:
1. early childhood education and care
2. pre-primary education
3. basic education
4. general upper secondary education
5. vocational education
6. higher education
7. adult education curriculum
8. admission of students
9. instructional standards
 curriculum
- The national core curriculum contains the objectives and core
contents of teaching for all school subjects, and also describes
the mission, values, and structure of education. It describes the
conception of learning and goals for developing the learning
environment, school culture and working methods.

 admission of students
- Compulsory schooling consists of one-year pre-primary
education for 6-year-olds and nine-year basic education for
children aged 7-16.

Post-compulsory education consists of three-year general and

vocational upper secondary education and training. General
upper secondary lead to matriculation examination and
vocational to vocational qualification.

 instructional standards
- Finland has a national core curriculum, which includes the
identification of the core subjects, curriculum frameworks and a
clear definition of how much time each topic should be allocated.
It emphasizes languages – students must learn Swedish and
Finnish (both are national languages of Finland) as well as a
 foreign language. The curriculum’s other subject areas are
mathematics and natural sciences, humanities and social
sciences, religion or ethics, physical and health education and
arts and practical subjects. Students may also take other,
elective subjects at the upper secondary school level. While the
curriculum guidelines are fairly sparse by the standards of many
countries – just 10 pages are devoted to math – the national
curriculum serves as a guide, rather than an explicit lesson plan.
The curriculum outlines how teachers should focus on
developing their students’ creativity, management and innovation
skills; with teachers grasping these goals and selecting their own
teaching materials and lesson plans, they have been successful
in achieving the government’s goals.
2.4 New Zealand
 organizational structure
- The New Zealand education system consists of:
1. Primary
2. Intermediate and;
3. Secondary.
 curriculum
- The national curriculum covers subjects that are taught at
primary and secondary schools and the standards students
should reach in each subject.
 admission of students
- Schooling is compulsory from age 6-16. In the majority of
schools, your child can start school on the day they turn 5 years
old (they don't have to wait until the start of a new school year).
However some schools have a policy of starting children at
school together as a group at the start of each term (cohort
entry). Most children stay at school until they're around 17 years
old.

The education system for schools is made up of 13 Year levels.

Your child's primary education starts at Year 1 and goes to Year
8 (around 5-12 years of age). Your child's secondary education
goes from Year 9 to Year 13 (around 13-17 years of age).
  instructional standards
- The key themes of the new curriculum included promoting a set
of common values, emphasizing topics and subjects more
relevant to today’s society, and increasing the ties between
schools and communities. It includes the following core subject
areas: English; mathematics and statistics; health and physical
education; learning languages; the arts; science; social science;
and technology. For each of these subjects, it includes a set of
goals for what students should be able to accomplish in a given
year, and a set of topics to cover, concepts to include, and
suggested materials for teachers to use.

2.5 Singapore
 organizational structure
- Singapore educational system consists of three levels:
1. Pre-school
2. Primary
3. Secondary

 curriculum
- The Singapore Ministry of Education oversees the development
of the national curriculum, which includes “Desired Outcomes of
Education.” The desired outcomes are student excellence in life
skills, knowledge skills, and subject discipline knowledge
organized into eight core skills and values: character
development, self-management skills, social and cooperative
skills, literacy and numeracy, communication skills, information
skills, thinking skills and creativity, and knowledge application
skills.

 admission of students
- Pre-school is offered from age three, in Singapore, with primary
schooling from the age of around seven. After primary school,
children move onto secondary school, which runs for students
aged from around 12, to 16 or 17. To go to university, teenagers
must attend a two or three year preparation course, which is
optional, with places awarded on merit.

 instructional standards
- The Ministry of Education has a great deal of control over how
the curriculum is implemented. As it promoted a shift from
 instruction based on teacher lectures and student memorization
to one that emphasizes student engagement and creativity,
ministry officials met regularly with school leaders and developed
an extensive series of professional development opportunities
for teachers as they rolled out the new system.
2.6 USA
 organizational structure
- USA educational system comprise of the following:
1. Elementary (Kindergarten to Grade 6)
2. Secondary (Junior high School and Senior High
3. Tertiary Level

 curriculum
- The US Curriculum is based on American Common Core State
Standards for English Language Arts, Math, History/Geography,
and Next Generation Science Standards for Science. This gives
more creative freedom to tailor the curriculum based on
individual needs. Students are supported by a huge range of co-
curricular activities that ensure they have the opportunity to
develop fully as individuals. Personalized instructions are geared
towards inquiry-based, hands-on teaching methods, and world
class learning strategies.

 admission of students
- Around age six, U.S. children begin primary school, which is
most commonly called “elementary school.” They attend five or
six years and then go onto secondary school.

Secondary school consists of two programs: the first is “middle

school” or “junior high school” and the second program is “high
school.” A diploma or certificate is awarded upon graduation
from high school. After graduating high school (12th grade), U.S.
students may go on to college or university. College or university
study is known as “higher education.”

 instructional standards
- These standards define the knowledge and skills students
should have within their K-12 education careers so that they will
graduate high school able to succeed in entry-level, credit-
bearing academic college courses and in workforce training
programs. The standards:
 Are aligned with college and work expectations;
 Are clear, understandable and consistent;
 Include rigorous content and application of knowledge
through high-order skills;
 Build upon strengths and lessons of current state standards;
 Are informed by other top performing countries, so that all
students are prepared to succeed in our global economy and
society; and
 Are evidence-based."