Romeo Padilla School of Education and Arts

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THE TEACHING PROFESSION (EDU5)

Historical Foundations of Education

I. INTRODUCTION:
How are you, teacher? I hope that you are able to read modules 0 and 1 critically. Your
knowledge about these modules are important as you explore this new module.

History is sometimes considered a tiresome topic. However, a future teacher like you
should have a background knowledge about the historical accounts of the educational
systems around the world. With this knowledge, you may be able to understand how
changes take place with regards to how learners are taught in the past, how lessons are
delivered in the curriculum, and the focus of curriculum during the ancient time.

I hope that you will enjoy reading this module. If possible, highlight the key points from
this material.

II. PRE-DISCUSSION ACTIVITY:

What do you remember/ recall about the type of education that Filipinos had in the past?

III. DISCUSSION:
Education of the Ancient Times:
China Schools probably existed in China almost 4000 years ago. As a highly
developed society, the Chinese designed their schools around the
perpetuation of tradition, compliance and conventionality, to allow
their youth to function in an increasingly formal and complex society.
The individual was not deemed particularly important, rather it was the
individual's acceptance of the cultural traditions and practices and his
place in society that characterized educational practice. Females for the
most part were not deemed worthy of a formal education.

Japan As with many other cultures, the Japanese system of education evolved
after they developed a written language. Adapting the Chinese form of
writing, the Japanese aristocracy was the first to learn to read and
write. Originally the Japanese borrowed heavily from the Chinese
culture in providing a curriculum of study. However, eventually the
needs of Japanese society became paramount and the educational
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system began to reflect a Japanese culture and belief system. Education

was also used to provide for the societal needs such as the specific
schools that were set up to train young men for civil s
Ancient Hebrew The Hebrews valued education and centered their instruction around
the teachings of their bible. Harsh discipline also characterized
educational practice along with a strict emphasis on following the laws
of the Old Testament. Females were not formally educated, but instead
were required to learn the skills associated with homemaking. Teachers
were treated with great respect, indicative of the value that Hebrew
society placed on education.
Ancient Hindu Ancient Hindu societies were based on a strict adherence to a
proscribed system of familial status known as the caste system,
whereby an individual's status is determined by his family's place in
the society. Formal education helped perpetuate this system by only
allowing access to boys from the highest or Brahmin caste. Priests
were used as teachers resulting in a heavy emphasis on moral
development, learning to write, and harsh discipline.
Egypt The Egyptians developed a very early, highly civilized society. They
had a form of writing known as hieroglyphics, and were divided into
castes. The priests were the most highly educated segment of society
and provided the instruction for the privileged males deemed worthy of
learning.
Ancient Greece Around 500 BC, the Greeks developed a society that was divided into
city-states and was sufficiently complex to require a formal educational
system. Two of the more prominent were Athens and Sparta.

Sparta Education in Sparta was primarily for the purpose of developing a

strong military to both protect from and conquer neighboring states.
Both boys and girls were subjected to a rigorous survival test of
exposure to the elements during infancy to determine if they had the
necessary capabilities to become warriors or mothers of warriors. Boys
were then given physical and moral training to design to develop a
strong military. Development of the intellect was not considered to be
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of particular usefulness.
Athens In Athens, the approach to education was designed to promote the
development of both body and mind. Boys were formally educated
from the age of eight to sixteen in various disciplines, which
emphasized the principles of moderation and balance. From ages
sixteen to twenty, the boys underwent military training. Girls were
educated in the home.
Influences of People from the Past to Education:
Socrates Socrates developed a method of teaching called the Socratic method,
whereby the teacher asks a series of questions that lead the student to a
conclusion. This method is still commonly used in modern educational
practice. Socrates believed that knowledge was a virtue and that it was
essential to understanding. At times he was critical of the government
and eventually chose to end his life rather than end his teaching.
Plato Plato was a student of Socrates. He was the father of idealism and
believed that the aim of education was to develop an individual's
abilities to better serve society. He founded the Academy, the world's
first university, and was one of the first people to advocate the formal
education of both males and females.
Romans The Romans conquered Greece in 146 BC and started to assimilate
many of the concepts and educational philosophies from the Greeks
into their own system. The Roman school system divided instruction
into two levels, consisting of an elementary period or ludus from age
seven to twelve, and a secondary school from age twelve to sixteen.
Females were actually allowed to attend the ludus and receive a formal
education. However, few girls received an education past age twelve.
Quintilian Quintilian (35-95 AD) was one of the most noted and far-thinking of
the Roman educators. His writings, which were discovered in the 14th
century, became the basis for the humanistic movement in education
(Johnson, et al., 1996). Quintillion believed that corporal punishment
was not necessary, that school holidays were needed to refresh and
encourage the student to further study, that instruction should reflect
the development of the child and that children shouldn't be taught new
material until they could master
Martin Luther Martin Luther challenged the authority of the Catholic Church directly
Ling when in 1517, he nailed his Ninety-five Theses to the church door in
Wittenberg, in what is now Germany. As a result, a century of religious
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turmoil began and the people who protested the teachings of the
Catholic Church came to be known as Protestants. The Protestants
believed in self-determinism and that the teachings of the Bible should
be read by individuals rather than interpreted by priests. Thus
education, at least the ability to read the Bible, was seen as a necessary
ingredient in providing people the tools for salvation. Luther and his
co-worker, Melanchthon, (1497-1560) were advocates for the
education of all social classes and for females. In addition, both Luther
and Melanchthon felt that education should be state-supported.
Johann Comenius Johann Comenius (1592-1670) wrote some of the first texts containing
illustrations. Comenius was a man ahead of his time. Many of his ideas
such as integrated learning, collaborative teaching, and the concept of
developing the life-long learner are part modern day pedagogy in
teacher-training programs. He also believed that the teacher is essential
to the education process and needs to be respected and justly
compensated. Most of his ideas were not well received during his
lifetime and were not universally accepte
John Locke John Locke (1632-1704) was an English educator during the 17th
century. He wrote many educational works, but the two most
influential were Some Thoughts on Education and the Essay
Concerning Human Understanding. Locke believed that ideas
originated as a result of experience. He stressed the importance of
education in developing the mind of the person. In fact a good
education could improve a person, while a bad one could achieve the
opposite result. Locke emphasized practical and effective methods of
teaching and advocated a non-threatening environment for the learner.
Ignatius of Loyola When Martin Luther led the Protestant Reformation, Ignatius of
Loyola (1491-1556) organized the Jesuits to establish schools and
promote the Catholic Church. Though the original intent was the
advancement of the advancement of Catholicism, the Society of Jesuits
became a great teaching order and developed their own system of
training teachers.
Descartes and The 18th century became known as the Age of Enlightenment or
Voltaire Reason because of a rebellion of the intellectuals against superstition
and ignorance. Philosophers such as Descartes (1595-1650) and
Voltaire (1745-1827) believed in the ability of humans to reason and
the power of rational thought. Descartes, though not an educator in the
strictest sense of the word, influenced the development of education
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because of his belief in human's ability to achieve truth through

reasoning and rational thought. Voltaire was heavily influenced by
Descartes and through his extensive writings helped elevate formal
education and bring about a new interest in learning.
Frederick the Frederick the Great (1712-1786) of Prussia, a friend of Voltaire,
Great believed in the value of an educated populace. He implemented some
of the first laws regarding education and the licensing of teachers. He
wanted people to learn to read and write in order to become useful
citizens. However, he did not see much need for extending general
education beyond that point.
Jean- Racques Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) was primarily a philosopher, who
Rousseau wrote the Social Contract, a book that played an important role in
influencing the thinking that led to the American and French
Revolutions. Though not considered an educator per se, Rousseau
wrote a great deal on the subject of education. His book, Émile,
described the ideal education of a youth and stated that education
should match the child's age of development. Rousseau also believed
in the natural goodness of children.
Johann Pestalozzi Johann Pestalozzi (1746-1827) was a Swiss educator who actually put
into practice many of Rousseau's ideas. Pestalozzi, like Rousseau, was
a proponent of designing instruction to complement a child's stage of
development. He believed that learning should begin with concrete
experiences before moving to the abstract and should start with the
simple and progress to the more complex. In addition he advocated that
children learn more effectively when they feel secure and have healthy
self-esteem. He held that children should be treated with love and
kindness. Pestalozzi was especially sensitive to the needs of poor
children and expressed a deep compassion for them.
Friedrich Froebel Friedrich Froebel (1782-1852) was another proponent of Rousseau and
Pestalozzi's theories of education. Froebel established the first
kindergarten, where young children were given a developmentally
appropriate education with an emphasis on learning through experience
and the social growth of the child. Froebel believed that women were
the most capable of teaching this age group.
Maria Montesorri She founded the Montessori method of education. The Montessori
method of education, named after its founder Maria Montessori, is an
approach to classroom learning that emphasizes independence and
choice. This theory of teaching understands that children have an
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innate interest to learn and will be able to do so in a suitable

environment.
John Dewey Dewey argued that curriculum should be relevant to students' lives. He
saw learning by doing and development of practical life skills as
crucial to children's education. Dewey thought that schools and
classrooms should be representative of real life situations, allowing
children to participate in learning activities interchangeably and
flexibly in a variety of social settings.

History of Philippine Educational System

Education of the Early Filipinos:
 The economic situation during the pre-colonial times was the great contributor and a
major factor in the system of education in the Philippines. Primitive Communal to Asiatic
feudalism were the types of society present before Spanish colonization. With their
practical and subsistent mode of production they had to provide education that was plain
and simple. The medium of instruction used was Alibata, the native alphabet.

 The educators or the teachers during the pre-colonial era were the Babaylan and the
Katalonan. Gifted with wisdom and knowledge on spirituality and the system of running
their own society, they were respected by the people of the society Therefore, the type of
education that was taught was one of beliefs and traditions. However, since there was
insufficient scientific learning, they lacked efficient means of economic production.

 Education was truly valued by the early Filipinos. The fathers trained their sons in how to
hunt and other means of maintaining a livelihood. On the other hand, the mothers were in
charge of their girls and instructing on household chores. The purpose of this type of
education was to prepare both boys and girls to become good husbands and wives in the
future. Both Filipino men and women knew how to read and write using their own
alphabet called alibata. It was composed of 17 symbols each representing the letters of
the alphabet. The symbols contained three vowels and the rest were consonants.
Education during the Spanish Era:
 Compared with the system of the early settlers, during the pre-Spanish time the system
changed into a formal system. The first Christian school built in the Philippines was
mandated by the Augustinians and established in Cebu in 1565. The establishment of
schools from the primary level to the tertiary level education came about all because of
the religious congregations. Christian doctrines were the main focus of these schools and
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schools for boys and girls were separate. However, only wealthy Filipinos or the
Illustrados were accommodated by the schools. More negative effects were brought about
by colonial education for the Filipinos.

 The Spanish authorities in the Philippines were mandated to educate the natives, to teach
them how to read and write, and to learn Spanish based on King Philip II’s Law of the
Indies (Leyes de Indias). However, given the realities of the time, the last order was quite
impossible. First, the number of Spaniards in the Archipelago was limited so the teaching
of Spanish at that time was minimal. Next, the Philippines was inhabited by diverse tribes
with different languages all with unique customs and religions. Then, the topography of
the country - the seas, the mountain ranges, the lush virgin forests and the absence of
enough good roads - made travel and communication difficult during these years. Faced
with these problems, the friars - the vanguard of evangelization and education – found an
alternative which was to learn the native languages first so that they could use them as
tools to evangelize and teach the natives in the missionary schools. Nevertheless, Spanish
was also taught to those who were interested. With the first movable printing press in the
country introduced by Spaniard, Tomas Pinpin, the Prince of Filipino printers, made sure
he published a book on how to learn Spanish. The archives of some of the published
books during the Spanish era, such as the Spanish-Chinese dictionaries, are kept at the
University of Santo Tomas.

 The public school system in the Philippines was born in 1863, with the passage of the
Education Reform Act in the Spanish Courts. Due to the compulsory education of
Filipino children, separate schools for boys and girls were established in every pueblo†.
The law also implemented the training of both male and female teachers after the
establishment of the Escuela Normal. The clergy or the friars maintained the order in the
educational system during these times. They owned different schools in the country,
ranging from the primary level to the tertiary levels of education. The sole responsibility
of the missionaries, aside from teaching Christianity, was to maintain the rules and
regulations imposed on the students. In addition, teaching and controlling them was also
in their hands.
Education during the American Era:
 Similar to the Spaniards, the Americans brought many cultural and traditional changes to
the country during their 45 years of colonization. Even today, these strong influences can
still be seen in the lifestyle of the Filipinos. With their motive to spread their cultural
values, specifically the English language to the Filipino people, education became a very
important issue for the United States’ colonial governments and they used it as a tool to
fulfill their visions.
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 Every child from age seven was obliged to register at the nearest school. School supplies
were provided to the students for free. During the American period levels of education
were divided into three. Firstly, the “elementary” level composed of four primary years
and three intermediate years. Next, the “secondary” or high school level consisted of four
years, and finally, the “college” or tertiary level. Unlike during the Spanish period,
religion was not part of the school curriculum.

 If students excelled academically they were given a chance to continue their studies and
to pursue their expertise in their chosen fields or professions in the United States.
“Scholar” was the word used for them, as the government covered all their expenses. In
return, they were to teach or work in government offices after they finished their studies.
Judge Jose Abad Santos, Francisco Benitez and Dr. Honoria Sison were some of the
successful Filipino scholars.

 Volunteer American soldiers were the first teachers of the Filipinos. Building classrooms
wherever they were assigned was part of their mission. In June 1901 these pioneer
teachers stopped teaching when a group of teachers from the U.S. came to the country
aboard the ship Sheridan. Around August of the same year, 600 more teachers called
Thomasites arrived aboard with the ship USS Thomas (from which their name derived);
365 males and 165 females composed the original batch of Thomasites who sailed from
the U.S. Around 1902 more American teachers followed the Thomasites, leading to a
total of about 1,074 stationed around the Philippines.
Education during the Japanese Occupation:
 With the Americans out of the picture, the Japanese Occupation started on 1941. Changes
in the system of education were implemented a year later. Embodied in the Military
Order No. 2 in 1942 they spelled out the basic principle and guidelines of education in re-
opening and operating schools. These were the following:
To enrich the Filipino culture and to stop patronizing western countries, i.e., the
United States and Great Britain;
To recognize that the Philippines as a part of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity
Sphere so that the Philippines and Japan could have good relations;
To boost the morality of the Filipinos and instill cautiousness of materialism;
To forget and to stop English language learning, and instead learn and adopt
Nippongo;
To proliferate primary and vocational education;
To foster love for work.

 As soon as the Commission of Education, Health and Public Welfare was established, the
opening of schools followed in June 1942. On October 14, 1943, the Ministry of
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Education was sponsored and created by the Japanese government. During their time, the
teaching of Tagalog, Philippine History and Character Education were observed in
schools. Passion for work and dignity of labor was stressed. On February 27, 1945, the
Department of Instruction was now under the Department of Public Instruction.

 Aside from teaching Nippongo and using entirely pro-Japanese books and material at all
levels of education, the Japanese also showed movies and organized co productions.
Performers such as singers and dancers were brought to the Philippines together with
painters, singers and scholars, so that the Filipinos would acquire inspiration, love,
sympathy, and the cooperation among them. Filipinos were keen and did not just blindly
believe the excessive promises of the Japanese.
Education during the Present Times:
 In 2010, then-Senator Benigno Aquino III expressed his desire to implement the K-12
basic education cycle to increase the number of years of compulsory education to
thirteen years. According to him, this will "give everyone an equal chance to succeed"
and "have quality education and profitable jobs". After further consultations and studies,
the government under President Aquino formally adopted the K-6-4-2 basic education
system--one year of kindergarten, six years of elementary education, four years of junior
high school education and two years of senior high school education. Kindergarten was
formally made compulsory by virtue of the Kindergarten Education Act of 2012, while
the further twelve years were officially put into law by virtue of the Enhanced Basic
Education Act of 2013. Although DepEd has already implemented the K-12 Program
since SY 2011-2012, it was still enacted into law to guarantee its continuity in the
succeeding years.

 The former system of basic education in the Philippines consists of one-year preschool
education, six-year elementary education and four-year high school education. Although
public preschool, elementary and high school education are provided free, only primary
education is stipulated as compulsory according to the 1987 Philippine Constitution. Pre-
primary education caters to children aged five. A child aged six may enter elementary
schools with, or without pre-primary education. Following on from primary education is
four-years of secondary education, which can theoretically be further divided into three
years of lower secondary and one year of upper secondary education. Ideally, a child
enters secondary education at the age of 12. After completing their secondary education,
students may progress to a technical education and skills development to earn a
certificate or a diploma within one to three years, depending on the skill. Students also
have the option to enroll in higher education programs to earn a baccalaureate degree.
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IV. ASSESSMENT:
Respond to the following questions. Make sure to use the given scoring rubric as
your guide. Your answer should be heavily based on the recent module.

26-30 An important main idea is clearly stated. Supporting details are relevant and convincing.
How the evidence supports the main idea is clear, reasonable, and explained in detail.
15-25 A main idea is stated. Supporting details are mostly relevant. How the evidence supports the
main idea is mostly clear and reasonable. Some explanation is given.
1-14 A main idea is not stated or is not correct. Supporting details are not relevant or are missing.
How the evidence supports the main idea is not clear, not reasonable, and/or not explained.

1. As you read the history of education of the ancient times, what changes did you
observe as to:
a. What is taught in the curriculum
b. How learners are taught
c. What skills are developed
2. As you read the influences of the people of the past in education, what specific
practices are still seen in our present education system?
3. As you read the history of Philippine educational system, what specific changes did
you observe from the education of the ancient Filipinos to the present education
system?

V. REFERENCES:
 History of Philippine Educational System at https://tinyurl.com/4k4khdhk
 History of the System of Education in the Philippines at
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1057820.pdf
 Historical Foundations of Education at https://tinyurl.com/msajv5am