PHILIPPINE EDUCATION SYSTEM

1. I. HISTORICALPERSPECTIVEof the PHILIPPINEEDUCATIONALSYSTEM (Noemi FlorL.Taburnal )
INTRODUCTION
Educationinthe Philippineshasundergone several stagesof developmentinmeetingthe needsof the
society.
Educationservesasfocusof emphases/prioritiesof the leadershipatcertainperiodsinournational struggle
as a race.
Educationinthe Philippineshasundergone several stagesof developmentfromthe pre-Spanishtimestothe
present.Inmeetingthe needsof the society,education servesasfocusof emphases/prioritiesof the
leadershipatcertainperiods/epochsinournational struggle asarace.
As earlyasin pre-Magellanictimes,educationwasinformal,unstructured,anddevoidof methods.Children
were providedmore vocationaltrainingandlessacademics(3Rs) by theirparentsandin the housesof tribal
tutors.
The pre-Spanishsystemof educationunderwentmajorchangesduringthe Spanishcolonization.The tribal
tutorswere replacedbythe SpanishMissionaries.
Educationwas religion-oriented.Itwasforthe elite,especiallyinthe earlyyearsof Spanishcolonization.
Accessto educationbythe Filipinoswaslaterliberalizedthroughthe enactmentof the Educational Decree of
1863 whichprovidedforthe establishmentof atleastone primaryschool forboysand girlsineach town
underthe responsibilityof the municipalgovernment;andthe establishmentof a normal school formale
teachersunderthe supervisionof the Jesuits.Primaryinstructionwasfreeandthe teachingof Spanishwas
compulsory.Educationduringthatperiodwasinadequate,suppressed,andcontrolled.
The defeatof Spainby Americanforcespavedthe wayforAguinaldo'sRepublicunderaRevolutionary
Government.The schoolsmaintainedbySpainfor more thanthree centurieswere closedforthe time being
but were reopenedonAugust29, 1898 by the Secretaryof Interior.The BurgosInstitute inMalolos,the
MilitaryAcademyof Malolos,andthe LiteraryUniversityof the Philippineswere established.
A systemof free andcompulsoryelementaryeducationwasestablishedbythe MalolosConstitution.An
adequate secularizedandfree publicschool systemduringthe firstdecade of Americanrule wasestablished
uponthe recommendationof the SchurmanCommission.Free primaryinstructionthattrainedthe peoplefor
the dutiesof citizenshipandavocationwasenforcedbythe TaftCommissionperinstructionsof
PresidentMcKinley.Chaplainsandnon-commissionedofficerswere assignedtoteachusingEnglishasthe
mediumof instruction.
Educationinthe Philippineshasundergone several stagesof developmentfromthe pre-Spanishtimestothe
present.Inmeetingthe needsof the society,educationservesasfocusof emphases/prioritiesof the
leadershipatcertainperiods/epochsinournational struggle asarace.
As earlyasin pre-Magellanictimes,educationwasinformal,unstructured,anddevoidof methods.Children
were providedmore vocationaltrainingandlessacademics(3Rs) by theirparentsandin the housesof tribal
tutors.

2. The pre-Spanishsystemof educationunderwentmajorchangesduringthe Spanishcolonization.The tribal
tutorswere replacedbythe SpanishMissionaries.
Educationwasreligion-oriented.Itwasforthe elite,especiallyinthe earlyyearsof Spanishcolonization.
Accessto educationbythe Filipinoswaslaterliberalizedthroughthe enactmentof the Educational Decree of
1863 whichprovidedforthe establishmentof atleastone primaryschool forboysand girlsineach town
underthe responsibilityof the municipalgovernment;andthe establishmentof a normal school formale
teachersunderthe supervisionof the Jesuits.Primaryinstructionwasfree andthe teachingof Spanishwas
compulsory.Educationduringthatperiodwasinadequate,suppressed,andcontrolled.
The defeatof Spainby Americanforcespavedthe wayforAguinaldo'sRepublicunderaRevolutionary
Government.The schoolsmaintainedbySpainfor more thanthree centurieswere closedforthe time being
but were reopenedonAugust29, 1898 by the Secretaryof Interior.The BurgosInstitute inMalolos,the
MilitaryAcademyof Malolos,andthe LiteraryUniversityof the Philippineswere established.
A systemof free andcompulsoryelementaryeducationwasestablishedbythe MalolosConstitution. An
adequate secularizedandfree publicschool systemduringthe firstdecade of Americanrule wasestablished
uponthe recommendationof the Schurman Commission.Free primaryinstructionthattrainedthe peoplefor
the dutiesof citizenshipand avocationwasenforcedbythe Taft Commissionperinstructionsof President
McKinley.Chaplainsandnon-commissioned officerswere assignedtoteach usingEnglishasthe mediumof
instruction.
Educationinthe Philippineshasundergone several stagesof developmentfromthe pre-Spanishtimestothe
present.Inmeetingthe needsof the society,educationservesasfocusof emphases/prioritiesof the
leadershipatcertainperiods/epochsinournational struggle asarace. Asearlyas in pre-Magellanictimes,
educationwasinformal,unstructured,anddevoidof methods.Childrenwere providedmore vocational
trainingandlessacademics(3Rs) by theirparentsandinthe housesof tribal tutors.The pre-Spanishsystem
of educationunderwentmajorchangesduringthe Spanishcolonization.The tribal tutorswere replacedby
the SpanishMissionaries.Educationwasreligion-oriented.Itwasforthe elite,especiallyinthe earlyyearsof
Spanishcolonization.Accesstoeducationbythe Filipinoswaslaterliberalized throughthe enactmentof the
Educational Decree of 1863 whichprovidedforthe establishmentof atleastone primaryschool for boysand
girlsineach townunderthe responsibilityof the municipalgovernment;andthe establishmentof anormal
school formale teachersunderthe supervisionof the Jesuits.Primaryinstructionwasfree andthe teaching
of Spanishwascompulsory.
Educationduringthat periodwasinadequate,suppressed,andcontrolled.The defeatof SpainbyAmerican
forcespavedthe wayfor Aguinaldo'sRepublicunderaRevolutionaryGovernment.The schoolsmaintained
by Spainfor more thanthree centurieswere closedforthe time beingbutwere reopenedonAugust29,
1898 by the Secretaryof Interior.The BurgosInstitute inMalolos,the MilitaryAcademyof Malolos,andthe
LiteraryUniversityof the Philippineswere established.A systemof free andcompulsoryelementary
educationwasestablishedbythe MalolosConstitution.Anadequate secularizedandfree publicschool
systemduringthe firstdecade of Americanrule wasestablisheduponthe recommendationof the Schurman
Commission.Freeprimaryinstructionthattrainedthe peopleforthe dutiesof citizenshipandavocationwas
enforcedbythe Taft Commissionperinstructionsof President McKinley.Chaplainsandnon-commissioned
officerswere assignedtoteachusingEnglishasthe mediumof instruction.
PERIODSAND DEVELOPMENTOF EDUCATION IN THE PHILIPPINES

3. PRE- SPANISH ERA • Educationwasinformal,unstructuredanddevoidinmethods.•Childrenwere provided
more vocational trainingandlessacademics(3Rs) bytheirparents andin the housesof tribal tutors
SPANISHERA
• Tribal tutorswere replacedbySpanishMissionaries..•Instructionwasreligionoriented.•Educationwas
limitedonlyforthe elites•Establishedatleastone primaryschool forboysandgirlsineach townby the
Decree of 1863.
SPANISHERA • Establishmentof normal school formale teachersunderthe supervisionof the JESUITS.•
Primaryinstructionwasfree.•Teachingof Spanishlanguage wascompulsory.•Educationduringthatperiod
was inadequate,suppressedandcontrolled.
REVOLUTIONARYGOVERNMENT• Established the BURGOSINSTITUTE inMalolos,MilitaryAcademyof
Malolosand LiteraryUniversityof the Philippines.•Free andcompulsoryelementaryeducation.
AMERICAN REGIME
• Upon the recommendationof the SchurmanCommissionfree primaryinstructionthattrainedthe people
for the dutiesof citizenshipandavocationwasenforcedbythe TAFTCommissionperinstructionsof
PresidentMcKinley.
AMERICAN REGIME
• Chaplainsandnon-commissionedofficerswereassignedtoteachusingEnglishasthe mediumof
instruction. •Highlycentralizedpublicschool systemwasinstalledbyPhilippineCommissionbyvirtue of Act
No.74
AMERICAN REGIME
• THOMASITESbrought inthe PhilippinesfromUSA.• Bureauof PublicInstructionbecame Bureauof
EducationunderAct No.477 whichpassedonNov.1, 1902. • High School wassupportedbythe
Governments.
AMERICAN REGIME
• Establishedthe followingon1902 by the Philippine Commission Special EducationInstitutions Schools
of Artsand Trade Agricultural School Commerce Marine Institutes
AMERICAN REGIME
• The Philippine Legislature approvedActNo.1870 whichcreatedthe Universityof the Philippines.•The
ReorganizationActof 1916 provide the Filipinizationof all departmentof the secretariesexceptthe
secretaryof PublicInstruction.
JAPANESEERA
Japanese educational policieswere embodiedinMilitaryOrderNo.2in1942. The Philippineexecutive
Commissionestablishedthe Commissionof Education,HealthandPublicWelfare andschoolswere reopened
inJune 1942.

4. JAPANESEERA OnOctober14, 1943 theysponsoredRepubliccreatedthe Ministryof Education.•Taught
Tagalog,Philippine HistoryandCharacterEducation.•Love for workand dignityof labourwasemphasized.
JAPANESEERA • In1947, by virtue of executive OrderNo.94 the departmentof Instructionwaschangedto
departmentof Education.•In that period,the regulationandsupervisionof publicandprivate schools
belongedtothe Bureauof PublicandPrivate Schools.
JAPANESE ERA • In 1972 itbecame the Departmentof EducationandCulture byvirtue of Proclamation 1081
and the Ministryof Educationand Culture byvirtue of P.D.No.1397. • 13 regional officeswascreatedand
majororganizational changeswere implementedinthe Educational System.
JAPANESEERA • The EducationAct of 1982 createdthe Ministryof EducationCulture andSportsin1987 by
virtue executive OrderNo.117. • On 1994, CommissionohHigherEducation(CHED) andthe Technical
Educationand skillsDevelopment Authority(TESDA) wereestablishedtosupervise tertiarydegrees,
programsand non-degree technical-vocational programs.
JAPANESEERA
• CongressionalCommissiononEducation(EDCOM) passedthe RA 7796 in1994 creatingCHED and TESDA.
Andnon formal • That systemfocusedtomandate basiceducationwhichcoverselementary,secondaryand
nonformal education,includingculture andsports.
JAPANESEERA
• TESDA nowadministerthe postsecondary,middlelevel manpowertraininganddevelopment.•CHED is
responsible forHigherEducation
JAPANESEERA
• In2001 RepublicAct9155 or Governmentof BasicEducationAct waspassedtransfromingDECSto DepEd.•
The main goal isto provide the school age populationandyoungadultswithskills,knowledge,andvaluesto
become caring,self reliant,productiveandpatrioticcitizens.