1) Education in the Philippines is managed and regulated by the Department of Education, known as DepEd, which controls the education system, curriculum, and funding. 2) The basic education system was previously 6 years of elementary school and 4 years of high school, but transitioned in 2011 to a K-12 system spanning kindergarten through 12th grade. 3) Formal education refers to structured learning in schools and includes pre-school, elementary, secondary, tertiary, vocational, and special education, while non-formal education occurs outside of formal schools and has no age limits.

1. Education as a
institution
Aubrey Joy B. Aguilar

2. Education is the social institution that
formally socializes members of the
society. It also refers to the process
through which skills, knowledge, and
values are transmitted from the
teachers to the learners.

3. Education in the Philippines
managed and regulated by the Department of
Education, commonly referred to as the DepEd.
DepEd controls the Philippine education system,
including the creation and implementation of the
curriculum and the utilization of funds allotted by
the central government.
It also manages the construction of schools,
acquisition of books and other school materials,
and the recruitment of teachers and staff.

4. From 1945 until 2011, the basic education
system was composed of six years of
elementary education starting at the age of
seven (changed to six later), and four years
of high school education starting at the age
of 12.

5. In 2011, the country started to transition
from its 10-year basic educational
system to a K to 12 educational
system.

7. All public schools in the Philippines
must start classes on the date
mandated by the Department of
Education and must end after each
school completes the mandated 200-
day school calendar prepared by the
Department of Education.

8. Functions of Education in a Society:
Giving training in specific skills or the basic
general education literacy
Prepare people for occupation to the next
Preserving the culture from one generation
to the next
Encouraging democratic participation by
teaching verbal skills

9. Developing the person‟s ability to think
rationally and independently
Enriching life by enabling the student to
expand his/her intellectual and aesthetic
horizons
Improving personal adjustment through
personal counselling and such courses as
applied psychology, sex education, family
living and drug abuse

10. Improving the health of the nation‟s
youth by providing physical exercise
and courses in hygiene
Producing patriotic citizens through
lessons illustrating the country‟s glory
Building character

11. The two most important goals of
education for the individual and
society are productive citizenry and
self-actualization. Productive
citizenry refers to an idea that a
citizen can create opportunities to
become productive. Self-actualization
refers to a desire for self-fulfillment.

12. Primary Education as a Human
Right
 The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that
everyone has the right to education. Education has to be free
and compulsory at least in the primary level, higher education
and technical-vocational education should be made generally
available.
 In the statement of United Nations Educational, Scientific,
and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), education is a
fundamental human right and essential for the exercise of all
other human rights. It promotes individual freedom and
empowerment and yields important development benefits.

13. Education is a powerful tool by which
economically and socially
marginalized adults and children can
lift themselves out of poverty and
participate fully as citizens.
Hence in the Philippines, primary
education is considered a right of a
child. It is enshrined in the 1987
Philippine Constitution.

14. FORMAL EDUCATION
Formal education refers to the systematic
and deliberate process of hierarchically
structured and sequential learning
corresponding to the general concept of
elementary and secondary level of
schooling.
It usually takes place in a classroom setting
and provided by trained teaching and non-
teaching staff.

15. Formal education shall
correspond to the following
levels in basic education:
 Pre-school education aims to develop children in all
aspects (physical, social, emotional, and cognitive) so
that they will be better prepared to adjust and cope
with life situations and the demands of formal
schooling.
 Elementary education is the first part of the
educational system, and it includes the first six years
of compulsory education from grade1 to grade 6.
 Secondary education is continuing basic education
from the elementary level to four years of junior high
school and two years of senior high school.

16.  Tertiary education is offered by private and
public colleges and universities. Most higher
education institutions offer four-year degree
programs with two (2) semesters per year.
 Vocational education is an accredited institution
offer technical and vocational education. Programs
offered vary in duration from a few weeks to two
years.
 Special education (SPED) refers to the
education of persons who are physically, mentally,
emotionally, socially or culturally different from so-
called “normal” individuals, such that they require
modification of school practices to develop their
potential.

17. NON-FORMAL EDUCATION
It is an organized educational activity that
takes placed outside a formal set up or
outside the framework of the formal system
to provide selected types of learning to a
segment of the population. It has no age-
limit, even adults can take part in a non-
formal education program.

18. ALS
Alternative Learning System (ALS) is a
parallel learning system in the Philippines
that provides a practical option to the
existing formal instruction. When one does
not have or cannot access formal education
in schools, ALS is an alternate or
substitute. ALS includes both the non-
formal and informal sources of knowledge
and skills.