The quality of education in a country is a significant indicator to the economic development of a country. This is what the human capital theory postulates. This means that the more and better educated the people of that nation is, the better the chances for economic growth.

Education and information have been the tools used by other developed and growing countries to ensure they are competitive in the international scene. Globalization is what the century is all about. If the education is one of the most important and powerful tools a nation has, where is the Philippines stand in this are?

While policy makers and educators of the country are doing their best to come up with the most effective educational policies and mandates, there are still hindrances that need to be addressed to be able to become globally competitive in the arena of education.

One hindrance that can be identified is the social division among the learners. Those who are well off can go to private school, tutorial schools, and even pursue special classes. Those who are not usually go to public schools. While we can boast of the quality of public education in the country, the supplemental education can still help.

As the years pass, many argues that the quality of education in the country is slowly declining. For example, when we are so proud to be the best English speaking Asian country, it has been observed that many students and graduates now are becoming less fluent of the universal language. We are also starting to rank lower than the other countries especially Singapore in Math and Science.

Again, this can be attributed to the economic conditions of the country. The students in Singapore and other richer countries, beside the regular school they attend to, are also attending special schools and classes.

The scarce resources of the education system is a huge hindrance. Thus, addressing both the education and economic concerns are what we need to find solutions, too.

References:

Francia, Luis (2010). A History of the Philippines: from indios bravos to filipinos. New York: The Overlook Press. pp. 40–44.

 

Meinardus, R. (2016). “The Crisis Of Public Education In The Philippines | Liberal Opinion”, Fnf.Org.Ph, accessed March 3, 2016, http://www.fnf.org.ph/liberalopinion/crisis-public-education-philippines.htm.

Porter, E. (2014). “A Simple Equation: More Education = More Income.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 10 Sept. 2014. Web. 11 Sept. 2014

By: Cresilda L. Sulpico | Teacher I | Facundo Angeles Memorial Elementary School