The 1987 Philippine Constitution defines quality education as complete, adequate, and integrated system of education relevant to the needs of the people and society, and the State must ensure that all citizens can access this envisioned system of education (Article XIV, Section 1, and Article XIV, Section 2, Sub-section 1). With the current status of the educational system of the Philippines, are students really getting the quality education that our constitution mandates? The following article is a reality check on the current issues and concerns our educational system is facing.
A comprehensive provisions on what and how quality education in the Philippines is stipulated in the Philippine constitution, to mention some are:
1.mandates the State to provide for a free public elementary and secondary education;
2. mandates the State to provide scholarship grants, student loan programs, subsidies
and other incentives to deserving and poor students.
3. mandates the State to enhance the right of teachers to professional advancement;
4. mandates the State to give the highest budgetary priority to education;
There are still a lot being mentioned, our constitution, if we will only read it, promises of a very ideal way and process on how to acquire quality education, but the society and the current situations suggests otherwise. Many Filipinos remain to be only dreaming of education and becoming educated. Education is our right, but in today’s battle ground, it presents itself as a privilege. One cannot fully enjoy education because of the identified issues and concerns in the educational system, such as:
- QUALITY of Education.
– A decline of the quality of education both in the primary and secondary level proves the decline in quality education. Recent statistics show that students incurred significant decrease in the level of proficiency of students in the Philippines: only 19% scored 75% or better in an English assessment exam. Ranking of our country also is suggestive of the quality of education in the country, Philippines ranked 43rd out of 46 schools in Asia with Singapore and Taipei on 1st and 2nd place respectively.
- AFFORDABILITY of Education.
– In spite of the effort to give free education to Filipino people, statistics will show that education in the Philippines is expensive and in the latter part of education, students from well of families are the ones entitled to have a better education. Increasing drop outs even at the primary level is an alarming issue. Out of the 100% enrolled in the primary level, 60% will proceed to secondary education, and only 12% will finish up until the tertiary education.
- BUDGET for Education.
– As stipulated herewith, the constitution mandates of the highest budgetary allocation. However, in reality our country remains to have the lowest budgetary allocation for education in the ASEAN countries. On the global competitive index, the Philippines ranked 52nd with Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia in the top 30 countries.
- MISMATCH in Education.
– The level of underemployed and unemployed in the Philippines, in 2015, is 6.4% while the underemployed increased to 20.8%. This statistics are present because of job and education mismatch. The available jobs in the Philippines is not congruent with the educational attainment of the Filipinos such that, Filipino professionals are forced to be employed in a field they are not so accustomed with. It is yet to be resolved, in my point of view, because of the curriculum waiting to be revised or updated to adopt to the global competition.
Education in the Philippines might not be as ideal as it is in other highly urbanized and developed countries. Despite the existing issues and concerns on education, let us not forget of the many students that have proved that education in the Philippines still have hope and reforms are on its way and can be deployed. The challenge remains to be the same: showing what the competencies of the Filipino to the world. Remember that education, remains to be the only key to become globally competitive.
By: Aileen L. Lumaban | Teacher III | Limay Nationahl High School | Limay, Bataan
