Module 15: The Historical Perspective of the Philippine Educational Systems

Introduction:

You will be a part of the Philippine Educational System soon. It may be good to get acquainted with the
historical development of our educational system for you to be able to better appreciate the efforts for
reforms and help improve the present by applying lessons learned from previous reforms and
innovations.

Outcomes:

1. Trace the development of the Philippine educational system from pre-Spanish era to the present
along national development goals and objectives of education;
2. Internalize the basic education curriculum reforms from 1946 to the present; and
3. Underscore the teachers’ roles in the national program for the expansion to the 12-year Basic
Education Cycle.

Pre-Colonial Period
Philippine historians Teodoro Agoncillo and Renato Constatino have refuted reports that the Philippines
during the pre-colonial period was “not civilized” and “primitive”. The existence of the alibata is one of
the evidences of civilization. We had our own system of writing. To date, the Tagbauas of Palawan and
the Mangyans of Mindoro still use their own system of writing too.

During those early times, writing implements included barks of trees and sharpened pieces of iron, palm
leaves and bamboo nodes. Schools existed where children were taught reading, writing, religion and
incantation and self defense. Most schools offered learning of Sanskrit and arithmetic. However,
instruction was also done at home where parents and other elders in the household taught children
obedience to elders and loyalty to tribal laws and traditions. (Agoncillo, 1990 Alzona, 1932).

Spanish Colonial Period

With the arrival of the Spanish colonizers, there was a shift in the focus of education. Through
administrative orders, the alibata was replaced by Romanized script and the Castilian language was
mandated as the medium of instruction. More importantly, education was pout under the control of the
religious orders, specifically, the friars. However, the friars “brutalized the masses” that led to the
establishment of the Frailocracy, one of the basic issues illustrated by Jose Rizal in his two novels.

Access to education by Filipinos was later liberalized through the enactment of the Educational Degree
of 1863, which provided for the establishment of a least one primary school for boys and girls in each
town under the responsibility of the municipal government; and the establishment of a Normal School
for male teachers under the supervision of the Jesuits. Primary instruction was free and the teaching of
Spanish was compulsory. It also through this degree that the Superior Commission of Primary Instruction
was established, the similar agency of the Department of Education.
Schools were opened separately for boys and girls, and the girls and women. The objectives of the
opening of schools were to popularized education and to train “religious, obedient and instructed
teachers”. As such, courses included Christian doctrine, morality and history, reading and writing in
Spanish, arithmetic and practical agriculture, rules of courtesy, and Spanish history. Girls in the
elementary level had special courses on sewing, mending and cutting while those in high school had
instrumental music (piano), painting and sketching, sewing and embroidery, and domestic science.
(Tiongson, 1990).

During the brief period after the success of the Philippine revolutionaries against Spain, the leaders of
the Republic tried to infuse nationalism in the educational system. Tiongson reported that while the
Mololos Constitution stipulated Tagalog as the national language, Spanish still dominated the
curriculum.

American Colonial Period

A highly centralized public school system was instituted in 1901 by the Philippine Commission by virtue
of Act No. 74. Act No. 74 also established the Department of Public Instruction, which was headed by a
General Superintendent. The implementation of this Act created a heavy shortage of teachers so much
so that the Philippine Commission authorized the Superintendent of Public Instruction to bring 600
teachers from the United States to the Philippines. These would later be popularly known as the
Thomasites. During American Regime, Filipino scholars were sent abroad to study and were called
“Pensionados”. The Organic Act of 1916 would reorganize the Department of Public Instruction,
mandating that it be headed by a Secretary. This act also mandated the Filipinization of all department
secretaries, except that of the Secretary of Public Instruction.

If the Spanish leadership used religion to take control of the colony, the American leadership used
education. As part of its benevolent assimilation approach, the public school system was instituted
making it obligatory for all children to go to school. This was welcomed by the parents as education was
given free. English and Mathematics dominated the curriculum, and the teaching of religion is
prohibited. In the high school, the study of Latin and Spanish classics were replaced by the study of
English language and Anglo-American Literature. Required coursed included general science, algebra,
geometry and the U.S history and government.

In 1908, the University of the Philippines (U.P.) was established through a charter, the U.P. curriculum
was patterned after some American universities. The U.P. Charter states that the University was created
“to realize the ‘Filipino’s dream of a state institution of higher learning entirely free from clerical
control.”

Japanese Occupation
Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere – This was the basic policy of the Japanese. Fully aware of the
great impact of the two colonial periods on the Filipino psyche, the Japanese officials set out to
“remold” the Filipinos. According to Ricardo Jose (1998), the military administration outlines the basic
principles of education in the Philippines. Some of these included the following: cut dependence on
Western nations and instead, foster a New Filipino culture, spread the Japanese language and eventually
end the use of English, focus on basic education and promote vocational education and inspire the
people with love of labor. As a result, social sciences and literature were de-emphasized while
vocational education and service to the country were given much focus. To win the sentiments of the
Filipinos, the use of Tagalog was encouraged, specially in literature. This move was further bolstered
with the installation of Jose P. Laurel as President of the Second Philippine Republic. He created the
National Education Board to look into curriculum changes and develop a more relevant education
program. His administration advocated the use of the national language and the teaching of Asian
history and culture. He also mandated that only Filipinos should teach Filipino history. Ricardo Jose
considered such moves as Presindent Laurel’s form of resistance again the Japanese.

Post War Period

In 1947, by virtue of Executive Order No. 94, the Department of Instruction was changed to Department
of Education. During this period, the regulation and supervision of public and private schools belonged
to the bureau of Public and private Schools.

In 1972, it became the Department of Education and Culture by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 1 and
subsequently became the Ministry of Education and Culture in 1978 by virtue of Presidential Decree No.
1379. Thirteen regional offices were created and major organizational changes were implemented in the
educational system. The Educational Act of 1982 created the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports
in 1987 by virtue of Executive Order No. 117 of President Corazon C. Aquino. Bilingual education was
very prominent in 80’s. The structure of DESC as embodied in EO No. 117 has practically remained
unchanged until 1994, when the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) was established, and in 1995,
when the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) was established to supervise
tertiary degree programs and non-degree technical-vocational programs, respectively.

The trifocal education system refocused DECS’ mandated to basic education which covers elementary,
secondary, and nonformal education, including culture and sports. TESDA now administers the post-
secondary, middle-level manpower training and development, while CHED is responsible for higher
education.

In August 2001, Republic Act No. 9155, otherwise called the Governance of Basic Education Act, was
passed renaming the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) to the Department of
Education (DepEd) and redefining the role of field offices, which includes regional offices division offices,
district offices and schools.

Historical Perspective of the Philippine Educational System

HEAD OF
YEAR OFFICIAL NAME LEGAL BASES
OFFICE

1863 Super Commission of Primary Chairman Educational Degree of 1863

Instruction

1901 Department of Public Instruction General Act No. 74 of the Philippines

1916 Superintendent Commission, Jan 21, 1901

1916 Department of Public Instruction Secretary Organic Act Law of 1916

1942 (Jones Law)

1942 Department of Education Commissioner Renamed by the Japanese

1944 Health and Public Welfare Exec. Commission, June 11, 1947

1944 Department of education, Minister Renamed by Japanese Sponsored

Health and Public Welfare Philippine Republic

1944 Department of Public Instruction Secretary Renamed by Japanese Sponsored

Philippine Republic

1945 Department of Public Instruction Secretary Renamed by the Commonwealth

and Information government
1946

1946 Department of Instruction Secretary Renamed by the Commonwealth

government
1947

1947 Department of Education Secretary E.O No. 94 October 1947

1975 (Reorganization Act of 1947)

1975 Department of Education and Minister Proc. No. 1018, September 24, 1972
Culture
1978

1978 Ministry of Education and Minister P.D. No. 1397, June 2, 1978
Culture
1984

1984 Ministry of Education, Culture Minister Education Act of 1982

and Sports
1986

1987 Department of Education Secretary E.O No. 117 January 30, 1987
Culture and Sports
2001

2002 Department of Education Secretary R.A. No. 9155

Present