Historical-Legal Foundations of Education

INTRODUCTION:
• Education/School
- Institution created by the society — to assure survival, stability, and convenience

SCHOOL
• Important agent of socialization.
• Tasked to impart specific knowledge and skills necessary for functioning in the society.
• Tasked to transmit society's cultural values.

ANCIENT PERIOD
(Ancient East Education)

• Developed based on historical, cultural, moral, and ideological values, emphasizing rigid
social norms, collective responsibility, and devaluing individuality, with strict educational
methods reinforcing societal roles.

- Family, Church, and Government

• Family - Families were important because they passed down traditions, skills, and values
from one generation to the next.
• Church - Religious institutions provided education, resources, and reinforcement of
societal values, shaping communities' moral compass.
• Government - Government made schools to teach reading, writing, and law because
families and religious groups could not do it, preparing people for government jobs
• The transition period, when the first human civilizations have arisen, is characterized by
deep changes in the practice of education and teaching

Cuneiform in Mesopotamia
 Hieroglyphics in Egypt

Education in Ancient Egypt

• Ancient Egyptian education aimed for resilience and maturity, treating boys and girls equally
in schooling, reflecting familial equality.
• In ancient Egypt, parents taught morals to secure their own afterlife, viewing their children's
behavior as crucial to their eternal fate.
• Ancient Egyptian education prioritized obedience and used physical punishment to enforce it.
Students had to memorize around 700 hieroglyphs to learn to read and write

MEDIEVAL PERIOD

• During the Middle Ages in Europe, education was mostly influenced by rich people,
Church, and gender rules.

• Social Status: Education was mainly reserved for the elite, like nobles and wealthy
landowners.

• Church Influence: Churches and religious places were the main spots for learning.

• Catholic Church's role in education: Created schools linked to the church to teach future
clergy and monks about religion, Latin, and the Bible, to keep its authority and teachings
alive.

• Schools were super important for sharing knowledge. They kept handwritten books in
their libraries. Students mainly learned Latin well because it helped them understand
religious stuff and take part in religious things.
 • Universities like Bologna, Oxford, and Salamanca emerged independently from church
control, allowing people to study subjects like law, medicine, and philosophy without
church influence.

C. RENAISSANCE PERIOD
• A transformative period in European history, spanning roughly from the 14th to the
17th century. It marked a revival of interest in classical art, literature, and learning,
and it is often seen as a bridge between the Middle Ages and the modern era. The
term "Renaissance" itself means "rebirth" in French, reflecting the renewed focus on
classical culture.

• The best-known contribution of the renaissance period is the PRINTING PRESS

HUMANISM - is the most significant intellectual movement during the Renaissance.

• HUMANITAS = CULTURE
• EDUCATORS = CLASSICAL HUMANISTS
• GREAT WRITERS OF THEIR AGE WROTE IN ITALIAN RATHER THAN LATIN
• BOCCACCIO - FOUNDER OF VERNACULAR LANGUAGE
•Emphasized on the humanistic aspects of Greek and Latin classics.
 •Adopted a system of thought that centers on humans.

2 TYPES OF HUMANISM
ITALIAN HUMANISM (INDIVIDUAL HUMANISM)
AIMS:
- To free individual from authoritative institutions.
AGENCIES:
1. Lower or elementary schools
2. Secondary schools
3. Universities
CURRICULUM:
-Greek and Roman Classics, Varied Human interest, World of Nature, and Manners.
METHODS OF INSTRUCTION:
1. Lesson lecture, writing, reading books
2. They give emphasis on the development of self-expression and the power of thinking
GREATEST CONTRIBUTIONS:
1. Establishment of secondary schools
2. Laid foundation on modern academic freedom
3. Application of individuals differences

•VITTORINO DE FELTRE
NOTHERN HUMANISM (SOCIAL HUMANISM)
AIMS:
-To reform society by improving social relationships; to democratize education
AGENCIES:
1. Elementary schools
2. Secondary schools
3. Universities
METHODS OF INSTRUCTION:
-Memorization, religious indoctrination, Harsh Discipline, and terror among students
GREATEST CONTRIBUTIONS:
1. Class-a-year practice
2. Emphasis on social education

CONTEMPORARY PERIOD - refers to the current era or time, encompassing the

events, trends, and developments of the present day. It is a fluid concept without a precise
beginning or end, but it generally refers to the time frame from the late 20th century to the
present.
JOHN AMOS COMENIUS -FATHER OF MODERN EDUCATION

AIMS:
-Establish modern educational methods and promoting universal education.
CURRICULUM:
- Education is for everyone
- Students natural tendency to learn.
- Learning by easy stages
- Financial aid
- Career preparation
- Extracurricular activities
- Lifelong learning skills
GREATEST CONTRIBUTION:
1. Commitment to universal education to provide literacy for everyone.

The historical-legal foundations of education. (Local)

Precolonial:
• Before the arrival of the Spanish colonizers, education in the Philippines was primarily
informal and centered around the transmission of knowledge and skills within
indigenous communities. Education was often facilitated by tribal elders or community
leaders who imparted cultural, practical, and spiritual teachings to the younger
generations. It focused on values, traditions, oral literature, and practical skills necessary
for survival and societal harmony.

•Precolonial Education
-Oral tradition
-Community Based Learning
-Apprenticeships

Spanish colonial period:

• The Spanish colonial period, which lasted for more three centuries, significantly
influenced the education system in the Philippines. The Spanish colonizers introduced
formal education through the establishment of religious orders and the implementation
of the Spanish educational system.
 • During this period, education was primarily provided by the Catholic Church and was
mainly accessible to the privileged few, particularly the children of the Spanish colonizers
and the local elite. The purpose of education was to propagate the Catholic faith and
Spanish culture, and it was primarily conducted in Spanish.

• The Spanish colonial government also established schools, such as the Universidad de
Santo Tomas, to educate the local population in Spanish language and Christian doctrine.
However, education remained limited to a small segment of society, and the curriculum
focused on religious teachings and obedience to Spanish authority.

•Spanish Colonial Education

- Formalized Education
- Religious Influence
- Language and Cultural shifts
- Hierarchical structure

Local: American Colonial Period

• The Treaty of Paris on December 10, 1898 which ended the Spanish-American War,
marked the beginning of another colonial regime in the Philippines. The US-sponsored
military government in the Philippines used the First Philippine Commission as its
instrumentality to impose an American type colonial governance in the country. It
promulgated legal policies affecting all aspects of Filipino lives, including education.

• With the mandate of then President William McKinley, the commission was instructed to
institute and adequate secularized and free public school system during the first decade
of American rule "to enable the people to become a 'civilized' community." The free
primary instruction covered primarily the teaching of the duties of citizenship, simple
livelihood, and vocation as mandated by the Taft Commission. Chaplains and non-
commissioned officers were assigned to serve as teachers in the country, with English as
the medium of instruction.
 • The American period was known for the establishment of a highly centralized public
school system by virtue of Act No. 74, enacted by the Philippine Commission in 1901.
The Americans patterned the Philippine public school system after their system of
education.

• Philippine public schools used American textbooks and reading materials to teach
reading, writing, arithmetic, language, gardening, domestic science, American history,
and Philippine history. Vocational education was limited to "gardening, carpentry,
sewing, lace-making, and almost everything that would 'civilize' the 'uncivilized'
Filipino."

• The implementation of Act No. 74 caused heavy shortage of teachers in the country.
Because of this, between 1901 and 1902, the Philippine Commission authorized the
secretary of public instruction to bring to the Philippines more than 1,600 teachers from
the US, popularly called the Thomasites.

Commonwealth Period
• From 1935-1946, a commonwealth system of government prevailed in the Philippines.
Prior to this period, the status of the Philippines was virtually undefined as some called
it an insular territory with non-commonwealth status.

• The creation of the Philippine Commonwealth was envisioned under the Philippine
Independence Act, also known as the "Tydings-McDuffie Act." It was a self-governing,
although foreign policies and military affairs remained under the responsibility of the US,
and the passage of law by the legislature affecting immigration, foreign trade, and the
currency system had to be approved by the US president.

• Meanwhile, the 1935 Constitution provided the framework and philosophy for public
education system in the Philippines. Section 5, Article XIV thereof provides that:
• SEC 5. All educational institutions shall be under the supervision of and subject to
regulation of the state. All schools shall aim to develop moral character, personal
discipline, civic conscience, and vocational efficiency, and to teach the duties of
citizenship.
 • Considering the foregoing constitutional mandate, Manuel L. Quezon, the elected
president of the Commonwealth, formulated a system of guiding principles to serve as
standards of behavior for the Filipino people, especially the youth. He issued Executive
Order No. 217, now known as the "Quezon Code of Citizenship and Ethics," reciting the
foundational philosophy for the emerging system of Philippine education.

• It contains fundamental guidance on how to develop moral character, personal

discipline, civic conscience, and the duties of citizenship. The first two principles therein
are about faith in Divine Providence and love of country. The basic legal guidelines that
implemented the constitutional provision on education were embodied in
Commonwealth Act No. 586, which was enacted to substantially reform the public
school system along the following principles:

1. To simplify, shorten, and render more practical

and economical both the primary and intermediate courses of instruction to place the same
within the reach of the largest possible number of school children;
2. To afford every child of school age adequate facilities to commence and complete at least the
primary course of instruction;
3. To give every child completing the primary course an adequate working knowledge of reading
and writing, the fundamentals of arithmetic, geography, Philippine history and government, and
character and civic training; and
4. To ensure that all children attending the elementary schools shall literate and become useful,
upright, and patriotic citizens

Japanese Colonial Period

• When the Japanese Imperial Forces invaded the Philippines in 1942, the war-time
educational objectives and philosophies were pronounced on February 17, 1942 by its
commander-in-chief, thus:
• To make people understand the position of the Philippines as a member of the East Asia Co-
prosperity Sphere, the true meaning of the establishment of a New Order in the sphere and the
share which the Philippines should take for the realization of the New Order, and thus to
promote friendly relations between Japan and the Philippines to the furthest extent.
• To eradicate the old idea of reliance upon the Western nations, especially the US and Great
Britain, and to foster a new Filipino culture based on the self-consciousness of people as
Orientals;
To endeavor to elevate the morals of the people, giving up the overemphasis on materialism;
To strive for the diffusion of the Japanese language in the Philippines and to terminate the use
of English in due course;

• To put an importance to the diffusion of elementary education and to the promotion of

vocational education; and

• To inspire the people with the spirit to love labor.

• During this period (1942-45), the Philippine Executive Commission established the
Commission of Education, Health, and Public Welfare. Schools were reopened in June
1942. The Japanese military administration immediately conducted re-orientation and
re- training of Filipino prewar teachers for the attainment of the objectives.

Local post-colonial
• The discussion of post-liberation period covers from Japan to the pre-Martial Law
period. With the termination of World War II and the restoration of the Philippine
independence on July 4, 1946, the philosophy of Philippine education to foster faith in
democracy as a way of life was reinstated.

• The discussion of post-liberation period covers from Japan to the pre-Martial Law
period. With the termination of World War II and the restoration of the Philippine
independence on July 4, 1946, the philosophy of Philippine education to foster faith in
democracy as a way of life was reinstated.

• One important piece of legislation during this period was R.A. No. 896 otherwise known
as the "Elementary Education Act of 1953." It made compulsory the enrolment of a child
the next school year following his/her seventh birthday and the requirement for him/her
to remain in school until he/she completed elementary education, subject to the same
 exceptions provided under Commonwealth Act No. 586 and the said Act. It also restored
Grade VII, provided that the pupils who were in Grade VI at the time of its
implementation were no longer required to complete the seventh grade to be eligible
for first year high school.
- Education aimed at full realization of the democratic ideals and way of life.
- The Civil Service Eligibility of teachers was made permanent pursuant to RA 1079 in June 15,
1954.
- A daily flag ceremony was made compulsory in all schools including the singing of the National
Anthem pursuant to RA 1265 approved on June 11, 1955.
- Curricular offerings in all schools, the life and works of Rizal shall be included in all levels.
- Elementary education was nationalized and matriculation fees were abolished.
- Magna Carta for Teachers was passed into law.
Other Developments;
Integration of values to all learning areas.
Emphasis on mastery learning
YDT and CAT introduced as new courses Media of Instruction. Bilingual Education Policy
Education Act of 1982 - created the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports.
NCCE - National College Entrance Examination was introduced Executive Order No. 117 - Pres.
Cory Aquino renamed the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) in 1987.
Creation of the Board for Professional Teachers.
Replacement of PBET by LET.
Transfer of authority of administering the LET from CSC
DECS to the Board of Professional Teachers under PRC.