University of Immaculate Concepcion

Bonifacio St., Davao City

GRADUATE SCHOOL

Hazel Jane A. Villegas MAEM 205

MAEM 12:00 - 3:00 P.M.

REFLECTION
We learned from history that Philippine Education has undergone a lot of struggles. In fact it is a
product of a long history of struggles. Its image right now is a result of a gradual process of generations
of colonialism and imperialism. During the Spanish regime the natives were contented to be vassals of
Spain. They were successful in using religion to make the people become submissive and unquestioning.
And even worse is that their policy was focused on treating the natives as a ward. This made our people
think that there was no need for them to be educated.
What then can we do to transform the image that the educational system had propagated through
the years? A lot of educators argued that there is a need to implement total transformation in the
education sector of the country. Transformation of the education sector may refer to the total re-
orientation of the system. But the system is too complex and it is better to start with policy transformation.
Education policies and programs, including the curriculum must be carefully evaluated and studied to
make it relevant to the Philippines and the global community. The provisions and policies must be
reviewed and must be done in all levels. There must be a wide participation of the stakeholders in doing
so. Our experts must be realistic in coming up with more attainable policies, that will address not only the
educational problems and will not only contribute to economic growth and development of the country
but more so with the social and moral development of the society.
Values reorientation of the Filipinos is also a key to national development. We need to provide
our in-service and pre-service teachers the avenue so they could understand their role not just as workers
or implementers but as human agency. Thus, there is an urgent call for transformation in the teacher
education, in terms of their values orientation and in terms of emphasis of on understanding the interplay
of power, history, and culture.
Also, transformation must include upgrading or updating for professional and personal
development of teachers. Even if the salary of the ordinary public school teacher had been standardized
to be competitive, with the increasing economic crisis, it will still be not enough to afford them attendance
to seminars, training and enrollment in graduate education. Hence, government support and intervention,
along this line is very much needed.

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 The distorted image that our education has as perceived by our children can only be changed if
teachers and other stakeholders understand the real purpose of education and communicate it properly
through practices. What really matters for teachers and other stakeholders is always reflected by their
actions. It is only when children concretely observe their teachers consistently practice these good values
that they will be able to replicate these in themselves.
QUALITY education is viewed as any country’s pillar of success. I strongly believed that
restructuring the Philippines’s basic educational system through the K to 12 Program is a tough but
strategic move by the government to ensure that it produces competent graduates who can serve as the
backbone for a highly skilled and employable work force.
Introduced in 2011 by the Department of Education (DepEd), headed by Secretary Armin Luistro,
FSJ, the K to 12 Program made kindergarten a prerequisite to basic education. It lengthened basic
schooling to include a two-year senior high school and offered technical and vocational courses to
students not planning to go to college, thus giving them more chances of getting employed in blue-collar
work.
The program replaced the 10-year basic education curriculum, which consisted of six years in
grade school and four years in high school that concentrated on the English language and Filipino, the
sciences, arithmetic and mathematics, and the social sciences.
It also incorporated these basic lessons to include basic science and technology, engineering,
mathematics, accountancy, business and management, humanities and social sciences, and general
academic courses such as technical-vocational-livelihood, arts and design, and sports.
Studies have repeatedly shown that “more schooling leads to a higher income, averaging a 10-
percent increase for every additional year in school.”
Quality education is the best that the country can offer, a call that leads to quality employment
for a better quality of life. Hence, lawmakers should still be in the lookout for potential advancements in
the current status of our education system.