Meinrad C.

Bautista

January 22, 2015

EDDEM 307 - Curriculum Development

Dr. Cresencia Fruto

Background of Educational System of the Philippines

Education in the Philippines is managed and regulated by the Department of Education,
commonly referred to as the DepEd in the country. The Department of Education controls the
Philippine education system, including the curriculum used in schools and the allocation of
funds. It also regulates the construction of schools and other educational facilities and the
recruitment of teachers and staff.
Before Philippine independence in 1946, the country's education system was patterned on the
system of its colonial powers, Spain and the United States. However, after Philippine
independence, its educational system changed radically.
Until 2011, the basic education system was composed of six years of elementary education
starting at the age of 6, and four years of high school education starting at the age of 12. Further
education was provided by technical or vocational schools, or in higher education institutions
such as universities. Although the 1987 Constitution stated that elementary education was
compulsory, this was never enforced
In 2011, the country started to transition from its old 10-year basic educational system to a K-12
educational system, as mandated by the Department of Education. The new 12-year system is
now compulsory, along with the adoption of new curriculum for all schools. The transition
period will end with the 2017-2018 school year, which is the graduation date for the first group
of students who entered the new educational system.
All public schools in the Philippines must start classes on the date mandated by the Department
of Education (usually the first Monday of June), and must end after each school completes the
mandated 200-day school calendar organized by the Department of Education (usually around
the third week of March to the second week of April). Private schools are not obliged to abide by
a specific date, but must open classes no later than the last week of August.
Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_the_Philippines

Levels of Educational System in the Philippines

Formal learning is typically divided into a number of Educational stages covering early childhood
education, primary education, secondary education and tertiary (or higher) education. The United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recognizes seven levels of education in its
International Standard Classification of Education system (ISCED, from Level 0 (pre-primary education)

through Level 6 (second stage of tertiary education). UNESCO's International Bureau of Education
maintains a database of country-specific education systems and their stages.

Education during childhood is typically provided through 2 or three stages of schooling,

followed by college or vocational training:

Early childhood education at preschool, also nursery school and kindergarten (outside of
the United States)
Primary education at primary school, also elementary school, and sometimes partly at
middle school
Secondary education at secondary school, or high school, and sometimes also partly at
middle school
Higher education at university, college or through vocational training

References: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Educational_stage

Literacy Rate of the Philippines

MANILA, Philippines - The number of people who can read and write in any language or dialect
in the Philippines has risen in 2010 compared to 10 years ago, according to the National
Statistics Office (NSO).
The NSOs 2010 Census of Population and Housing (CPH) showed that of the 71.5 million
individuals who are 10 years old and above, 97.5 percent or 69.8 million were literate or could
read and write. This is higher compared to the literacy rate of 92.3 percent recorded in the 2000
CPH. The statistics agency noted that the literacy rate among females aged 10 years and over in
2010 was at 97.6 percent, while the percentage was at 97.4 percent among males of the same
age.
Among the regions, the NCR (National Capital Region) had the highest literacy rate at 99.7
percent, the NSO noted.
Aside from the NCR, there were seven regions with its literacy rate higher than the national rate,
which are Region IVA or CALABARZON (99.3 percent), Region III or Central Luzon (99.2
percent), Region I or Ilocos Region (99.1 percent), Region V or Bicol Region (98.5 percent),
Region VI or Western Visayas (97.9 percent), Region VII or Central Visayas (97.7 percent), and
Caraga (97.7 percent).
The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) had the lowest literacy rate at 82.5
percent.Among the provinces, excluding the highly urbanized cities, Cavite had the highest
literacy rate at 99.6 percent.

In contrast, Sulu had the lowest literacy rate, with 76.6 percent. The NSO said that of the 38.5
million persons aged five to 24 years old, 64.5 percent or 24.9 million attended school at anytime
from June 2009 to March 2010.
School attendance was higher among females than males, it said.
Females aged five to 24 years who attended school during the school year 2009 to 2010
comprised 65 percent of all females in this age group, while 64.1 percent of similar age group
attended school in the same school year.
By region, the Cordillera Administrative Region had the highest school attendance at 69.4
percent.ARMM, meanwhile, had the lowest school attendance at 59.3 percent.The NSO also said
Batanes had the highest rate of school attendance among provinces, excluding the highly
urbanized cities, at 82.7 percent.
http://www.philstar.com/business/2013/12/31/1273515/phl-literacy-rate-improves-97.5-nso
Curriculum of the Basic Education in the Philippines
The CORE SUBJECTS: Filipino; English;Math; Science (Science and Health for Elem.);Science
and Technology for Secondary. The Experiential Area:Makabayan: AralingPanlipunan; MAPEH
(Music,Arts, PE and health); TLE; EdukasyonsaPagpapahalaga (the practice environment
forholistic learning to develop a healthy personal andnational self-identity.10
11. Medium of Instruction: Pursuant to theDepEd Bilingual Policy (Dep.Ed Order No.
52,s,1987), the media of instruction shall be asfollows: For Elementary Education: Filipino shall
be used in the following areas:Filipino; Makabayan and English shall be used in the following
learning areas: English; Science; Mathematics11
http://www.slideshare.net/lilibeth_roldan05/basic-education-curriculum
How far is the Philippines in Education?
MANILA, Philippines - The United Nations' education arm observed how several educational
targets for the Philippines are far from being reached even under President Benigno Aquino III.
In financing the sector, a UNESCO representative said in an e-mail exchange with Philstar.com
that the Philippine government has not prioritized education as much as it ought to.
While education spending increased from 1999 to 2011 from 13.9 percent to 15 percent, it has
not yet reached the target suggested 20 percent of national budget.
Moreover, education is not a significant contributor to the country's gross national product.
"The share of national income invested in education, which equaled the sub-regional average in
1999, had fallen behind by 2009 at 2.7 percent of GNP, compared with an average of 3.2 percent
for East Asia," UNESCO said.

Worst out-of-school numbers

The Philippines also has 1.46 million huge out-of-school populations and the number has hardly
been improved between 2000 and 2011.
"The Philippines is still in the top ten countries with the highest out of school population ... By
contrast, Indonesia managed to reduce its out-of-school population by 84 percent between 2000
and 2011," UNESCO said.
The international organization furthermore cited teacher absenteeism as a recurring problem in
the country's schools.
Zenaida, a Quezon City instructor, spoke with UNESCO on teachers' difficulties in being present
in class.
"One of the main reasons for absenteeism is the weather. With heavy rains, the dirt roads were
closed, and teachers could not get to school. Also, the rain made it impossible to teach, as the
noise from the metal roof was deafening," Zenaida said.
http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2014/01/23/1282186/philippines-education-crisisfar-over-unesco

Literacy Rate of ASIAN countries

Countries in Asia

Male Literacy

Female Literacy

Criteria

Philippines

Overall Literacy
Rate
95.4%

95%

95.8%

Singapore

95.9%

98%

93.8%

Japan

99%

99%

99%

Thailand

93.5%

95.6%

91.5%

Malaysia

93.1%

95.4%

90.70%

China

95.1%

97.5%

92.7%

Vietnam

94%

96.1%

92%

South Korea

97.9%

99.2%

96.6

North Korea

100%

100%

100

Hongkong

93.5%

96.9%

89.6%

Cambodia

73.9%

82.8%

65.9%

Age 15 and over

can read and
write
Age 15 and over
can read and
write (2004 est.)
Age 15 and over
can read and
write (2002
census)
Age 15 and over
can read and
write (2005
census)
Age 15 and over
can read and
write (2010
census)
Age 15 and over
can read and
write (2010 est.)
Age 15 and over
can read and
write (2002 est.)
Age 15 and over
can read and
write (2002)
Age 15 and over
can read and
write (2008 est.)
Age 15 and over
has ever
attended school
(2002)
Age 15 and over
can read and

Brunei

95.4%

97%

93.9%

write (2009 est.)

Age 15 and over
can read and
write (2011 est.)

Education in Singapore

Education in Singapore is managed by the Ministry of Education (MOE), which controls the
development and administration of state schools receiving government funding, but also has an
advisory and supervisory role in respect of private schools. For both private and state schools,
there are variations in the extent of autonomy in their curriculum, scope of government aid and
funding, tuition burden on the students, and admission policy.
Education spending usually makes up about 20 percent of the annual national budget, which
subsidises state education and government-assisted private education for Singaporean citizens
and funds the Edusave programme, the costs for which are significantly higher for non-citizens.
In 2000 the Compulsory Education Act codified compulsory education for children of primary
school age (excepting those with disabilities), and made it a criminal offence for parents to fail to
enroll their children in school and ensure their regular attendance. Exemptions are allowed
for homeschooling or full-time religious institutions, but parents must apply for exemption from
the Ministry of Education and meet a minimum benchmark.
The main language of instruction in Singapore is English, which was officially designated the
first language within the local education system in 1987. English is the first language learned by
half the children by the time they reach preschool age and becomes the primary medium of
instruction by the time they reach primary school. Although Malay, Mandarin and Tamil are also
official languages, English is the language of instruction for nearly all subjects except the official
Mother Tongue languages and the literatures of those languages; these are generally not taught in
English, although there is provision for the use of English at the initial stages. Certain schools,
such as secondary schools under the Special Assistance Plan (SAP), encourage a richer use of the
mother tongue and may occasionally teach subjects in Mandarin Chinese. A few schools have
been experimenting with curricula that integrate language subjects with mathematics and the
sciences, using both English and a second language.

Singapore's education system has been described as "world-leading" and in 2010 was among
those picked out for commendation by the now-former British education minister Michael Gove.

Singapore Education System

Level/Grade

Typical age

Preschool
Pre-school playgroup

34

Kindergarten

46

Primary school (Children enter P1 in the year they turn 7).

Primary 1

67

Primary 2

78

Primary 3

89

Primary 4

910

Primary 5

1011

Primary 6

11-12

Secondary school
Secondary 1

1213

Secondary 2

1314

Secondary 3

1415

Secondary 4

1516

Secondary 5

1617

Post-secondary education
Tertiary education (College or University)

Ages vary

References: "Education Statistics Digest". Ministry of Education, Singapore. Retrieved 16

November 2012.

Education in Japan

In Japan, education is compulsory at the elementary and lower secondary levels. Most students
attend public schools through the lower secondary level, but private education is popular at the
upper secondary and university levels. Japan's education system played a central part in Japan's
recovery and rapid economic growth in the decades following the end of World War II.
After World War II, the Fundamental Law of Education and the School Education Law were enacted
in 1947 under the direction of the occupation forces. The latter law defined the school system that is
still in effect today: six years of elementary school, three years of junior high school, three years of
high school, two or four years of university.
Education prior to elementary school is provided at kindergartens and day-care centers. Public and
private day-care centers take children from under age one on up to five years old. The programmes
for those children aged 35 resemble those at kindergartens. The educational approach at
kindergartens varies greatly from unstructured environments that emphasize play to highly
structured environments that are focused on having the child pass the entrance exam at a private
elementary school.

School Grades in Japan

Elementary School (6-12 years old, Compulsory Education)

Junior High School/ Lower Secondary School (12-15 years old, Compulsory Education)

High School/ Upper Secondary School (15-18 years old)

Universities and Colleges

Education in China
Education in China is a state-run system of public education run by the Ministry of Education.
All citizens must attend school for at least nine years, known as the nine-year compulsory
education, which the government funds. It includes six years of primary education, starting at
age six or seven, and three years of junior secondary education (middle school) for ages 12 to 15.
Some provinces may have five years of primary school but four years for middle school. After
middle school, there are three years of high school, which then completes the secondary
education. The Ministry of Education reported a 99 percent attendance rate for primary school
and an 80 percent rate for both primary and middle schools. In 1985, the government abolished
tax-funded higher education, requiring university applicants to compete for scholarships based
on academic ability. In the early 1980s the government allowed the establishment of the
first private school, increasing the number of undergraduates and people who hold doctoral
degrees fivefold from 1995 to 2005.
In 2003 China supported 1,552 institutions of higher learning (colleges and universities) and
their 725,000 professors and 11 million students. There are over 100 National Key Universities,
including Peking University and Tsinghua University. Chinese spending has grown by 20% per
year since 1999, now reaching over $100bn, and as many as 1.5 million science and engineering
students graduated from Chinese universities in 2006. China published 184,080 papers as of
2008. China has also become a top destination for international students. As of 2013, China is the
most popular country in Asia for international students, and ranks third overall among countries.
Laws regulating the system of education include the Regulation on Academic Degrees, the
Compulsory Education Law, the Teachers Law, the Education Law, the Law on Vocational
Education, and the Law on Higher Education
Educational stages in China
Typical Age

1822

Education

University or college

Levels

Varies

Compulsory

No

1517

Senior high school (middle

school)
or
Vocational school

Grades 10
12

No

1214

Junior middle school

Grades 79

Yes

611

Primary school

Grades 16

Yes

Education in North Korea

Education

in

the Democratic

People's

Republic

of

Korea (DPRK) is universal

and

state

funded schooling by the government. The national literacy rate for citizens 15 years of age and older
is over 99 percent. Children go through one year of kindergarten, four years of primary education, six
years of secondary education, and then on to universities.
In 1988 the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) reported
that North Korea had 35,000 preprimary, 59,000 primary, 111,000 secondary, 23,000 college and
university, and 4,000 other postsecondary teachers

Education in South Korea

Education in South Korea is provided by both public schools and private schools. Both types of
schools receive funding from the government, although the amount that the private schools receive
is less than the amount of the state schools.
Higher education is serious matter and highly valued in South Korea and in South Korean culture as
a whole. In 2010, the country spent 7.6% of its GDP on all levels of education significantly more
than the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) average of 6.3% and as
a result has fostered an education system that helped transform the country and rapidly grow its
economy over the past 60 years. South Koreas zeal for education and individuals desire to get into
a prestigious university is among highest in the world, where the entrance to a top tier higher
institution leads to prestigious, secure and well-paid job with the government, banks, or one of South
Koreas major business conglomerates like Samsung or LG Electronics. With incredible pressure on

high school students to secure places at the nations best universities, its institutional reputation and
alumni networks are strong predictors of future job and career prospects. The top three universities
in South Korea often referred to as SKY are include Seoul National University, Korea University
and Yonsei University.
The South Korean education system has been praised for various reasons, including its
comparatively high results and its major role in bringing Korea's economic development. Many
political figures such as the U.S. President Barack Obama have praised South Korea for its rigorous
education system, where more than 85 percent of South Korean high school graduates there go on
to college and creating a highly motivated and educated populace. In addition, 65 percent of South
Koreans aged 2534 hold at least a bachelors degree, the most in the OECD, while the global
OECD average is 39 percent.
However, its rigid, hierarchical structure has been criticized for lowering innovation. It has also been
described as 'intensely competitive. The system has also been attributed for the high suicide rate
in South Korea as well as increased uncertainty about job prospects may do little to quell national
anxiety around a college entrance exam that is already regarded as having lasting consequences for
ones career and life. It has also been criticized for producing an oversupply of university graduates
in the country, where the first quarter of 2013 alone, nearly 3.3 million South Korean university
graduates were jobless, leading many graduates overqualified for jobs requiring less education. In
addition, further criticism has been stemmed for causing labor shortages in many vocational
occupations, which many go unfilled. Despite strong criticism and research statistics pointing
alternative career options, many South Korean parents still continue to encourage their children to
enter universities than vocational schools

School Grades in South Korea

Level/Grade

Typical age

Infant School
Nursery School

0-3

Kindergarten

4-6

Primary School

1st Grade

6-7

2nd Grade

7-8

3rd Grade

8-9

4th Grade

9-10

5th Grade

10-11

6th Grade

11-12

Middle School
7th grade

12-13

8th Grade

13-14

9th Grade

14-15

High School
10th Grade

15-16

11th Grade

16-17

12th Grade

17-18

Post-secondary education

Tertiary education (College or University)

Ages vary (usually four years,

referred to as Freshman,
Sophomore, Junior and
Senior years)