1

1 HISTORY OF THE PHILIPPINE

EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:

1. know the history of the Philippine educational system,

2. describe the curriculum development in the Philippines,
3. identify salient features of different educational reforms in the Philippines,
4. make timeline of Philippine educational system.

History of the Philippine Educational System

The Pre-Spanish Curriculum

Before the coming of the Spaniards the Filipino possessed a culture of their own. They
had contacts with other foreign peoples from Arabia, India, China, Indo-China and Borneo. The
diaries of Fr. Chirino attest to the historical fact that “the inhabitants were a civilized people,
possessing their system of writing, laws and moral standards in a well-organized system of
government. They did not have an organized system of education as we have now. They,
however, possessed them to expressed in their ways of life and as shown in the rule of the
barangay, their code of law – the Code of Kalantiao and Maragtas – their belief in the Bathala,
the solidarity of the family, the modesty of the women, the children’s obedience and respect for
their elders, and in the valor of the men.

This informal education was the learning which the early Filipino received as a result of
his interaction with others in the group of which he was a member. Ideas and facts were
acquired through suggestion, observation, example and imitation. There was no direct teaching,
no formal method of instruction. The learning of the basic habits, patterns of culture, ideas and
 2

new knowledge was unplanned and unsystematic. This was done mostly in the family, paly
group, neighborhood and occupational group. The youngsters learned their trade through
experience. The farmers taught their boys how to hunt by actually taking them out into the
woods and teaching them how to use the bow and arrow in catching wild animals. The
fishermen on the other hand taught their youngsters by taking them to the river and showing
them how to nets and fish traps.

The Spanish-devised Curriculum

When the Spanish soldiers of fortune conquered the Philippines, they deemed it wise to
bring Spanish missionaries to consolidate their control of the Filipinos, body and soul. The
Spanish curriculum then consisted of the three R’s - reading, writing and religion with undue
emphasis on the last as a tool for perpetuating the colonial order. The curricular goals were the
acceptance of Catholicism and the acceptance of Spanish rule.

The schools then were parochial or convent schools. The main reading materials were
the cartilla, the caton and the catecismo. The schools were ungraded and the curriculum
organization was separately subject organization. The method of instruction was predominantly
individual memorization.

According to Fr. Modesto de Castro, author of Urbana at Feliza (1877), the curriculum for
boys and girls was aimed to (1) teach young boys and girls to serve and love God, (2) discover
what is good and proper for one’s self, and (3) enable the individual to get along well with his
neighbors.

The American-devised Curriculum

The American-devised curriculum was also dominated with the motive of conquering the
Filipinos not only physically but also intellectually. The public school system established and
healed by an American until 1935, was train the Filipinos after the American culture and way of
life. The curriculum was based on the ideals and traditions of America and her hierarchy of
values. The reading materials were about Tom, Dick and Harry, George Washington and
Abraham Lincoln. Filipino children were taught to draw houses with chimneys and to play the
role of Indians and cowboys. They sang the Star-Spangled Banner and Philippines; My
Philippines to the tune of Maryland, My Maryland. English was the medium of instruction.

The primary curriculum prescribed in 1904 by the Americans for the Filipinos consisted of
three grades which provide training in two aspects.

a) Body training – singing, drawing, handwork, and physical education.

 3

b) Mental Training – English (reading, writing, conversation, phonetics, and spelling),

nature study, and arithmetic. In grade III geography and civic were added to the
list of the subjects.

The intermediate curriculum consisted of subjects such as arithmetic, geography, science,

and English. Science included plant life, physiology and sanitation.

In the collegiate level, normal schools were opened with teacher’s training curriculum
appropriate for elementary mentors. Its aim was to replace the soldiers and the “Thomasites.”

The curriculum organization remained separate-subject Group method of teaching was

adopted. A significant aspect of the American-devised curriculum was the prohibition of
compulsory religious instruction in the public schools.

The Curriculum during the Commonwealth

The period of the Commonwealth (1935-1946) mat be considered as the period off
expansion and reform in the Philippine curriculum. American-trained Filipino teachers applied in
the Philippines the educational reform they learned from the United States. These educational
leaders expanded the curriculum by introducing courses in farming, trade, business, domestic
science, etc.

The curriculum for the training of elementary school teachers was expanded by the
Bureau of Education by elevating it from the secondary normal schools to collegiate normal
schools which started operating in 1939 were for two years training beyond the high school.

Commonwealth Act 586, also known as Educational Act of 1940, reorganized the
elementary school system by eliminating Grade VII and providing for the double-single session
in which elementary pupils attended classes for one-half day only. This measure ushered the
beginning of the decline of the efficiency of elementary education.

The Japanese-devised Curriculum

The Second World War led to the occupation of the Philippines the Japanese Imperial
Forces (1941-1945). Just like the Spaniards and the Americans, they devised a curriculum for the
Filipino to suit their vested interest. They introduced many changes in the curriculum by
including Nippongo and abolishing English as a medium of instruction and as a subject. All
textbooks were censored and revised.

The Japanese-devised curriculum caused a blackout in Philippines education and

impeded the educational progress of the Filipinos.
 4

The Curriculum during the Liberation Period

In 1945, during the liberation period, steps were taken to improve the curriculum existing
before the war. Some steps taken were to restore Grade VII, to abolish the double-single session
and most especially, to adopt the modern trends in education taken from the United States.

Filipino educational leaders, such as Cecilio Putong, Prudencio tried to develop a

curriculum based on the characteristics and needs of the Filipino children and on the needs,
problem and resources of the community. However, their efforts remained in the ideational
stage. The school curriculum remained basically the same as before and was still subject-
centered.

The Curriculum during the Philippine Republic

The granting of independence to the Filipinos led to some educational reforms in the
curriculum. Great experiments in the community school idea and the use of the vernacular in the
first two grades of the primary school as a medium of instruction were some of them. Some of
the reforms were merely extensions of the educational trends in previous decades. Others were
implemented in response to circumstances in the culture. And still others were results of
research and experimentation in education and related disciplines.

An experiment worth-mentioning that led to a change in the Philippine educational

philosophy was that of school and community collaboration pioneered by Jose V. Aguilar.

The community school concept had for its goal the improvement of pupil and
community life through the curriculum. Due to its successful implementation the community

use of the vernacular as a medium of

instruction in the first two grades of the primary school. He believed that the primary school
would “give them (the pupils) leverage on social, political and economic forces, and for those
who go through these grades, the vernacular base may promote better learning in English.
Upon evaluation by the Research Department of the Bureau it was found out that the
experimental classes did equally well in all subjects and did even better in language arts and
social studies. Presently all public schools conduct instruction in the first two grades and even in
the entire primary grades using the vernacular as a medium of instruction.

It is source of gratification also to note that our schools are increasingly using
instructional materials that Philippine-oriented. This policy has been formulated by our
educational leaders, the most recent example of which being Department Memorandum No. 30,
 5

1966. This particular memorandum sets the order of priority in the purchase of books for use in
our schools as follows:

1) Books which are contributions to Philippine Literature as provided under section

7 of Commonwealth Act No. 586, as amended by Commonwealth Act 658, and
further amended by section 5 of Republic Act No. 4092.
2) Books on character education and other library materials, which should be
utilized for classroom instruction, and the current advices of the President of the
Philippines. Books and charts on science which will enhance the current program
of the administration in science education.
3) Library equipment features;
a) Books locally published
b) Books written by local authors
c) Books and library materials published and approved lately as
shown:
1. Literature, except the classics and books on Rizal,
published not earlier then 1955.
2. Character education and other subjects and general
readings published not earlier than 1960.
3. Science, Arithmetic and other related subjects published
not earlier than 1933.

The crucial role of the instructional materials in the promotion of nationalism is now well
organized. According to responsible educational leaders, we are in great need of instructional
materials that will give emphasis on the following area:

1) The improvement of home industries so that they will be patronized. The popular
preference for Philippine made products is an attitude worth fostering among
our people especially when Filipino businessmen want their goods to be
patronized. Our numerous home industries may be continuously improved so
that they will be preferred not only in this country but also abroad.
2) The appreciation of the services of the great men and women of our country.
There was a time when Filipino pupils and students could speak about George
Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and other great men of other countries, but could
not intelligently discuss the lines and contributions of their own great men such
as Rizal, Bonifacio, Del Pilar, Mabini, Tandang Sora,etc. and others.
3) Preservation of our cultural heritage. We have a rich cultural heritage embodied
in our native language, in our folk dances, folk songs, as well as in our customs
and traditions.
 6

The department of Education, in its attempt to keep up with changing economic and
social conditions of the country, had undertaken a program of curricula and course of study
revisions. The areas studied include social studies, health and science, language arts, arithmetic,
arts and physical education and work education.

In elementary level, vocational education has been introduced as a part of the

educational program of the Bureau of Public Schools. Vocational education has been preserved
to develop a proper attitude toward work, to develop certain vocational skills and to enhance
the agricultural-industrial development of the country. There are six major areas namely:
agricultural education, business education, fishery, home economics, home industries and trade
industrial education, including trade courses for girls.

Work education includes training and experience in agriculture, fishery, homemaking and
family living, industrial arts, and other activities intended to develop knowledge, attitudes,
proper work habits and skills and wise utilization of resources.

Another step taken in the direction of increasing respectability for technical education
was the establishment of vocational schools. The curriculum of these schools provides for
general culture and technical training. The students learn a trade and develop craftsmanship.
This is one way of improving the manpower resources of our country.

The use of media like television, radio, filmstrip in our teaching helps a lot in the
attainment of our instructional purposes and enrichment program. Media is not used only in
Science but also in language Arts,(how to pronounce, spell, etc.,), Social Studies(like geography,
culture, economy, etc.), and Mathematics (fractions, percentage, problems).

In 1961, the Committee on the Reform of the Philippine Educational System was
appointed by the Board of National Education, now known as National Board of education. This
Committee devoted a substantial part of its report to recommendations for curriculum
improvement at different levels of the educational system. Its recommendations were based on
an earlier study by the Swanson group, composed of appreciation of the ongoing community
life and problems. Hopefully, the new curriculum is a tool to correct the imbalance between
manpower needs and educational outputs. Substantially, the work/value oriented philosophy
will decrease apathy for work and adherence to beliefs and practices that are roadblocks to the
Filipino’s growth and development as a nation. Relevant actual work experiences along
academic subjects and proper integration of subject matter in classroom activities are employed
to inculcate love and dignity of manual work, and preservation of wholesome Filipino ways of
life. Character Education is fused with other disciplines for inculcation of moral values, with love
of God and fellowmen as foundations. The methodology is not anymore spoon feeding but
teaching the students how to learn and unlearn: to think and decide by themselves. Hence the
 7

conceptual and discovery approaches of the social studies and sciences are highly
recommendable. The new trend is interdisciplinary and integrative approaches, putting aside the
old subject’s compartmentalization. Hence, teaching should be subject matter-centered, learner-
centered as well as community life-centered. Thus, current issues and trends in agrarian reform,
sex and population education, cooperatives, taxation, pollution and drug addiction are
integrated in the present secondary subjects. It is also worth mentioning the inclusion of Youth
Development and Citizen Army Training courses. Local community resources are to be utilized
to vitalize the instruction program.

In the collegiate level, steps are also being taken to make the curriculum respond to the
needs of the times. New direction in education is being taken by the Philippine National College.
As the center of teacher-training institutions all over the country, it implemented educational
projects which aim to revolutionize the former ineffective curriculum by making education
relevant to the realities of rural life. Teachers-trainees are asked to live and work with farmers for
several months to get the interaction of the people, acquire the spirit of service to the people,
and know the people’s lives needs and aspirations. The same thing is happening with the
medical and nursing professions: graduates of these schools are ask to train for some time in
the rural areas. Several curriculum changes have also been implemented in the business
collegiate program. Students are exposed to Filipino life situations. Textbooks and teaching
materials oriented the Philippine setting are being used. Visual aids, case study method, open
dialogue, project method, syndicated work and being used in teaching.

In summary, the curricular developments introduced in the Philippines since 1946 are the
integrative-activity program, the broad field curriculum, and the experience curriculum
organizations; development of local supplementary curriculum materials, resources units,
curriculum guides, courses of study, supplementary readers and other teaching-learning aids
based on local resources, locally prepared teaching aids, Filipino-authored textbooks;
democratic school practices and teaching methods, group processes use of the vernacular and
Filipino as a medium of instruction bilingualism; new approaches to the development of the
community-school service program; practical arts courses in the general secondary curriculum
as the foundation for specialized training and vocational courses in agricultural and trade
schools for greater skills and specialization continuous progression, non-graded curriculum, and
individualized instruction.

Curriculum in the New Society

“To guarantee that the educational system would be relevant and responsive to the
challenges and requirement of national, provincial and local development.” President Ferdinand
Marcos pursuant to Proclamation No. 1081 issued last Sept. 29, 2972, Decree No. 6 known as
Educational Development Decree of 1972, to take effect immediately.
 8

This Presidential education decree aims to make schools responsive to the needs of the
New Society. It embodies the entire proposal submitted by the Presidential Commission to
survey Philippine Education to President Marcos. President Marcos issued the Educational
Development Decree of 1972 as a national policy and as part of the law of the land. This decree
institutes meaning reform that will decidedly improve the quality of life of the curriculum.
Among its objectives are: to provide for a broad general education that will assist each
individual in his development as a whole human being useful to his fellowmen and to his
country; to train the nations manpower in the middle level in skills required for national
development; to develop the high-level professions that will provide leadership for the nation
and advance knowledge through research; and respond effectively to the changing needs and
conditions of the nation through a system of educational planning and evaluation.

To advance its objectives, the Educational Development Decree has formulated a ten-
year program based on a number of principles, among them: improvement of curricular
programs and quality of instruction at all levels by upgrading physical facilities; adopting cost-
saving instructional technology and training and retraining of teachers and administrators;
upgrading of academic standards through accreditation schemes, admissions testing and
guidance counseling; and democratization of access to education by financial assistance to poor
but deserving students, skills training programs for out of school youth and a continuing
educational program for illiterate adults. Among the curricular steps taken are the teaching of
land and agrarian reform and cooperatives as individual subjects for study, the requirement of
Family Planning and Philippine Constitution as compulsory subjects in the collegiate level; the
National College Entrance Examination for all college applicants; and the extension of classwork
into areas that would not otherwise benefit from education, like the farms and factories.
Taxation and population education courses are offered at higher levels of education. Mandatory
use of textbooks authored and published by Filipinos in the Philippines in the elementary and
secondary levels in higher education courses, except for certain specialized and technical
courses in college such as medicine is also being implemented.

The thrust of the New Society curriculum is redirection of education towards what is
relevant to national development. There were certain actions taken to improve the collegiate
curriculum for this purpose, such as the opening of 10 manpower training center, three technical
institutes, two agricultural universities (one at Musuan Bukidnon and another at Munoz, Nueva
Ecija), upgrading of 100 agricultural schools, improvement of science education center at the UP,
and four regional science teacher education centers in Laoag for Northern Luzon, at the Central
Luzon Teachers College, in the Western Visayas, and at the Zamboanga State College.

Another significant change in the New Society has something to with alien schools in
accordance with Presidential Decree No. 176. These alien schools will have to follow the basic
 9

curriculum of the Department of Education, and may not be owned solely by aliens. Also, by
virtue of a presidential directive, no student will be allowed to graduate without a semester of
civic action work consisting of activities related to his particular course. Touching on Muslim
literacy the uztadz and the ulamas, who are knowledgeable in Arabic were engaged to teach
Filipino Muslims students to read and write in Arabic. The Department of Education and Culture
also looked into the possibility of including materials informative of the ways of the Filipino
minorities in social studies subjects currently being taught in Philippine schools, as well as
eliminating materials offensive or objectionable to the Muslim and other minorities.

We can say that the emphasis of the curriculum of the New Society are on moral values,
relevance, proper methods of teaching, retraining of teachers, vocational and technical
education, bilingualism, national consciousness and cultural values.

The curricular redirection in the New Society can be briefly summarized as follows:

1. The curriculum should be redirected to place more stress on development of moral

virtues particularly discipline, honesty, social responsibility, thrift, hard work and
obedience. Every learning situation should stress on moral and ethical values. The duties
and responsibilities of citizenship should be underscored.
2. As a mean of integrating education and life, the content of all subject areas at all levels
shall be related to the conditions of times, to the actual needs of the people and the
country. Considering that economic development is a major national goal, all school
activities should be work-oriented and production-oriented.
3. The curriculum should reflect the urgent needs and problems facing the country today
and should therefore include; Population Education, Nutrition, Food Production, Wise
Conservation and Utilization of Natural Resources, Tax Consciousness, Cooperative
Education, Consumer Education and Buy-Filipino Movement.
4. The curriculum should be viewed not in terms of facts or subject matter to be mastered
but in terms of learning to be acquired and applied in meeting everyday situations.
5. All teaching shall seek to develop comprehensive understanding of all the subjects, their
interrelationships and their significance to everyday living.
6. Co-curricular youth programs shall be restructured and enriched to channel youth
activities to positive and productive endeavors. The use of out-of-school learning
situations shall receive more emphasis, and community problems which can be better
solved outside the classroom shall provide the subject matter for teaching-learning
situations. Parents and community members shall be tapped for involvement.
7. Non-formal education or extension services for community shall be recognized and
credited as provide of the school curriculum. A system of recognition such as issuance of
 10

certificates of proficiency individuals meeting the requirements of short term, non-formal

courses shall be worked out.

The reform in teaching methodology is as follows:

1. Objectives of instruction shall specify behavior and changes as primary outcomes

of learning activities.
2. More and more, teaching strategies that are inquired and-problem-oriented
should be adopted in order to develop the ability to think, rationalize and make
proper decisions.
3. Guidance and research should be given great emphasis.
4. Courses should be restructured to allow testing in actual practice of theories
learned in classroom.
5. More opportunity should be given to out-of-classroom learning.
6. Evaluative methods should accordingly be revised Examination should measure
ability to use knowledge or apply what is learned rather than my memory or the
idle accumulation of facts.
7. Incentive in the form of scholarship shall be provided for students to take
technical and vocational courses. The possibilities for employment shall increase
by instituting a tie-up between educational institutions on one hand and business
and industry on the other, not only for apprentices but for the use of the latter’s
facilities, equipment and expert personnel.

The reorientation of education in the New Society aim to reexamine and redirect the
curriculum to make it more supportive of the New Society’s goals specifically social reform and
economic development. It also aims to upgrade and revise teaching methodology to make it
more productive of results particularly in achieving changes in attitudes and values which must
be reflected in a marked change in the conduct and behavior of the products of our schools.

Additional Readings (X Required).

Public School _Curriculum in the Philippines_ Pub (Pdf). Please refer to the
attached file in the CLASSROOM.
 11

Activity 1. Describing Curriculum Development

Directions: Read and answer the following questions based on the curriculum
development in the Philippines. Put your answer on your E-Portfolio.

1. Describe the Development of Curriculum of the Philippines from the Pre Spanish
time to American Regime. (15 pts)
2. Describe the kind of curriculum developed during the commonwealth. (10 pts)

Activity 2. Diagram/Matrix of Salient Features of Philippine Curriculum

Directions: Draw a diagram showing salient features of the different educational reforms
in the Philippines.

Activity 3. Timeline
Directions: Make your own timeline showing the History of the Philippine Educational
System.

REFERENCES

Andres, T.M., & Francisco, F. (1989). Curriculum development in the

Philippine setting. San Jose, Quezon City.

Maclang, A. (n.d.). Public school curriculum Philippines' public school curriculum

model. Retrieved from https://www.academia.edu/40356580/.