Professional Documents
Culture Documents
A Comparative Perspective
Submitted by:
Carlo Ocampo
AB European Studies
Submitted to:
Introduction
An old Filipino saying goes: ang edukasyon ay siyang tanging kayamanan na hindi
mananakaw sa isang tao ninuman. Education is the only wealth that cannot be taken away
by anyone. This saying in itself showcases the value that Filipinos put on one’s education.
On a wider scale, such value is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and
the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It equips the person with the necessary
both at the individual and collective levels. Especially for the impoverished and the
integrated within constitutions and national policies. Through legal provisions, the right to
education is formalized. However, it does not come without any challenges. To these ends,
the approach to education may often be coursed through public and private partnerships.
For developing countries such as the Philippines, it is done to enhance and respond to
deficits in the system and its policies. Amidst a pandemic, these demands are made more
apparent and states are urged to ensure access to quality education by partnering with
private institutions. In this paper, the group will: (I) assess the main frameworks for
Sustainable Development in education; (II) explore and elaborate on the current landscape
of education in the Philippines; (III) compare educational systems in the Philippines with
other countries; and (IV) propose possible solutions to improve the education in the
Philippines.
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The issue of access to quality public education in the Philippines has existed for
many decades. Various initiatives have been attempted on the local and national levels
towards its overall development. However, in the recent interactions with the students and
teachers of some of the many public senior high schools in Quezon City, the problems are
still seemingly prevalent. This showcases the importance of arriving at proper sustainable
solutions. In this regard, the paper intends to propose two potential frameworks that could
serve as foundations for long term positive action, namely the Basic Needs Approach and
the Rights-Based Approach. Both of the methods heavily incorporate key notions of the
institutionalist perspective, whereby recognition is given to the various social factors, and
their influence over institutions (Todaro & Smith, 2015). Such is significant in the analysis of
development outlook that gives primacy to prioritizing all individuals within a society being
able to first meet their basic needs. This allows for societies to promote communal progress.
Typically, the method covers physical and material needs such as food, water, and shelter
though such could be applied to the educational realm (Stewart, 1985). The former needs
have served as part of the original core of the approach, for it was seemingly clear then that
those are the minimal requirements towards a person’s survival. However, in recent years,
through the adaptation of the definition of a basic need to fit in the idea of anything that
mainly contributes to long-term physical-wellbeing, concepts like health and education were
especially employment, that enables overall security and prosperity in one’s life. Hence, the
approach proves significant in the context of the local public school systems, for it highlights
the inherent need for proper quality education for all students in a society towards the
The Rights-Based Approach, on the other hand, definitively enshrines the relevance
of identifying and upholding one’s essential rights as a human being. This fosters
wholesome and inclusive development for all persons and their perspectives are properly
considered. When utilising the concept of rights, it necessitates action from states and
governmental authorities in fulfilling their obligations to the inhabitants they serve (UN
Women, 2013). Per the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948, it has been widely
held that quality education is a right within the confines of society. This is premised on its
connection to other important rights such as the right to life, which allows for every person to
live their lives fully and meaningfully (UNESCO, 2007). What this connotes is that quality
education and not education in itself must be made readily accessible to all, regardless of
one’s age, race, gender, and societal status. It is then an avenue for comprehensive and
participatory development, which seeks to empower those currently marginalised. This now
applies to the Philippine public education system, with regards to the national government in
its various agencies, even noting its contexts as a developing country. As a signatory of the
must still comply and find inclusive, interconnected and sustainable ways in guaranteeing
Beginning with the microlevel, the group will attempt to establish the status quo of
educational access in the country. This part aims to show how the educational experience is
disparate between private and public schools. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has made
this disparity more apparent due to the online setting, the educational system in the country
recently garnered attention questioning its quality. Concerns have been raised on errors with
grammar and unverified information (Chiu, 2019). Regardless of the department’s three-step
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review process, the Commission on Audit (COA) reported in 2019 that around PHP 254
million of materials for Grade 3 pupils were filled with inaccuracies. Aside from errors,
PHP 113 million (Nicholls, 2019). Teachers have expressed to state auditors that they have
resorted to utilizing supplementary materials from the internet or private schools when the
textbooks provided by DepEd are not aligned with the curriculum (Buan, 2019).
Public schools also face a lack of facilities and infrastructures that highlights the
issue of conduciveness. It is not unlikely to hear about classroom shortages that result in
crowded lecture rooms (Tomacruz, 2019). From 2014 to 2018, funds were allocated to
66,000 classrooms that have yet to be completed or turned over to the institutions
(Reysio-Cruz, 2019). Before the opening of classes in 2019, at least seven public schools in
the National Capital Region had to configure the schedule and implement triple-class shifts
(Hernando-Malipot, 2019). Within a school day, class shifts are commonly divided into two -
morning and afternoon. In the triple-class shift setting, time is reduced for each allotment.
Although DepEd has assured that these were simply temporary measures in light of
unfinished school buildings, the struggle of both teachers and students cannot be denied.
Secretary Briones herself said that there is a commonly held perception that private
schools are better than public schools (DepEd, 2018). Although there may be systematic
differences, this should not be the case. Section 4 of Article XIV in the Phillippine
Constitution acknowledges the complementary roles of both public and private institutions.
With COVID-19 and the implementation of various quarantine measures, a new set of
concerns have been raised on the educational approach. Included are the calls for an
academic freeze, the lack of technological resources, and the quality of teacher-student
dynamic, among many other things. With no end yet in sight to this pandemic, domestic
country, substantial measures within the system are seen as both necessary and urgent.
Moving on from the micro-level analysis, we must now take a look at the situation on
a global scale which is necessary to be able to pinpoint the areas for improvement. This is
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where the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) come in. There are three SDGs that
SDG #4 aims to give inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong
opportunities for all. It is a concern for developing nations. Kids from the poorest households
are four times more likely to not be able to attend school than kids from the richest
households. The Philippines, as a developing country, has always struggled with making
quality education accessible to all Filipinos. The good news is that as of 2018, the
completion rate of students in primary and secondary education have increased according to
the latest preliminary submissions of DepEd to the Philippine Statistics Authority. While the
Philippines has taken substantial steps in ensuring that out of school youths are about to
receive a proper education and that all learners work towards becoming a literate global
citizen, there are some steps that they should still take. It is also worth noting that the most
recent statistics on the SDG progress does not account for the year 2020 (Philippine
Statistics Authority, 2020), in which we know that the number of enrollees in primary and
secondary education have dropped due to the financial incapacity of their families.
This current situation brings us to the second mentioned SDG: Goal 17 which calls
for Partnerships for the Goals. Public-private partnerships among Philippine institutions can
address more complex issues through indicators set by Partnership for the Goals (SDG#17).
The Philippines recognizes the fact that it is going to take the whole of society working
together to implement the SDGs. Cross-sectoral coordination and planning are through
existing institutions. (UN, 2019). Public-private partnerships will not only bolster the access
to quality education. It is mentioned in the 2019 Voluntary National Review of the Philippines
that the government has encouraged such partnerships by providing tax incentives to
partnerships with the private sector (UN, 2019). Two partnerships worth mentioning are
Teach for the Philippines and Room to Read. Teach for the Philippines is a local non-profit
organization that enlists young teachers to work for public schools in the first two years of
their tenure before proceeding to their choice of occupation. Room to Read, on the other
hand, is an international organization in Asia and Africa that focuses on literacy and gender
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equality in education. The two organizations target one aspect of education that remains to
Finally, the two aforementioned issues will inadvertently impact the Philippines’
progress on SDG #1: No Poverty. Receiving quality education is the first step in breaking the
cycle of poverty (Sachs, 2015). The Philippines is far from achieving both goals. However,
by working towards the SDG #4, the country is closer than they were before. It can be seen
in this case that the SDGs are not mutually exclusive. These SDGs overlap in certain areas
realities vis-a-vis those in neighboring and developed countries alike offers more evidence to
support the need for both structural and institutional reforms to address policy gaps. To
these ends, this section examines the Philippine educational realities with respect to
Indonesia can be considered a relatively identical country in terms of its social and
political aspects. Similar to the Philippines, it is one of the original founders of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Despite their general similarities, trends in
education between the two countries have much to do with internal factors. In 2016, a study
employing the Right to Education Index revealed that education services in Indonesia ranked
lower than the Philippines (Network for Education Watch Indonesia). According to the
Jakarta Post, the index takes into account five facets as indicators for a country’s
acceptability (2017). Not long after, however, Indonesia made notable progress in the right
direction in spite of the unpromising indicators at the beginning. Some studies attribute this
to major reforms in 2014 that were designed not only to uplift the educational sector in
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contemporary Indonesia, but also ensure that per capita incomes were more than tripled
Meanwhile, education in the Philippines has also enjoyed its set of milestones in the
last decade. From transitioning to the K-12 curriculum to making access to education in state
universities free, the administration has taken some strides in improving the country’s
educational situation. However, studies suggest that its overall performance still falls short
within the ASEAN, pinning areas such as total public expenditure on education,
professions and labor force growth in particular as factors for its flaws (The ASEAN Post,
2019). Compounded by a set of controversial budget cuts to the education sector from 2017
to this day, it is not surprising to see that Indonesia has surpassed the Philippines in several
indicators for quality, accessible, and affordable education. In fact, just last year, a study by
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), in its Programme for
International Student Assessment (PISA) revealed that the Philippines ranked the lowest
with respect to its ASEAN neighbors in some of the most basic indicators for education such
as reading literacy as well as in math and science (Farolan, 2019). Some critiques singled
out the mismatch between the country’s economic situation and the demands of the
educational sector as the biggest contributor to these gaps. While the topic remains up for
debate, it is certain that the problem in the country’s educational system is not confined
within the sector alone. Put simply, the issue is very much intertwined with other issues that
beg to be addressed.
5-year Work Plan on Education that was meant to “build toward the vision of an ASEAN
education sector in which individual Member States’ education sectors offer progressive,
systemic and organizational capacities, practices, and programmes.” This framework was
originally created in line with the Millennium Development Goals. As such, it was meant to
increase regional cooperation among ASEAN member states and push for deeper
integration through partnerships. Although it did meet certain success indicators in terms of
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building on what had been established in the ASEAN Charter, domestic situations among
ASEAN member states in the succeeding years still showed great disparities in the
education sector within the region. Additionally, patterns of inconsistencies that can be
within the intergovernmental scope of the ASEAN prove inadequate in meeting the demands
To further challenge the local and regional context, the Philippine educational sector
can perhaps be compared to the Finnish education system: one of the top models for
education in the world according to PISA indicators (Strauss, 2019). In one study, the
Philippine and Finish education systems have been characterized as “polar opposites”
(Aranilla, 2017). The two countries diverge in three key points: first, the Philippines relies
literacy and numeracy in contrast to Finland who gives importance to broad knowledge.
Third, evaluation in the Philippines is carried out mainly through inspection or grading while
points of improvement. Unfortunately, reforms to the system are not that simple. In
particular, the same study suggests that the Philippine education, although flawed, is heavily
influenced by its colonial past. Hence, reforms to the system require undoing years of
IV. Solutions
Given all these social realities, integrated with perspectives from international
situations, the group will attempt to provide feasible solutions aiming to address not only the
issues within the education system itself, but also the socio-economic determinants affecting
education outcomes. These solutions are two-fold: the first places heavy emphasis on the
role of the government in policy-making and project implementation; and the second posits
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the significance of public-private partnerships in improving the quality and widening the
access to education.
More equal societies such as Finland are definitive examples proving the importance
of greater government involvement. In improving the education system of the country, first
among the roles of the government is creating policies which ensure that rights of both
students and teachers are actively upheld. On one hand, it is the government’s responsibility
other hand, the teachers--who carry the formidable task of delivering education--must be
provided with proper compensation, resources to facilitate teaching, and adequate class
size. Although the education sector receives a great allotment from the national budget
(Department of Budget and Management, n.d.), measures have to be taken in order for
these basic rights to be secured. More importantly, given today’s context, proper budgeting
However, these alone may not be sufficient because these do not address the
deeper, more intrinsic issue rooted in the socio-economic aspect. Education outcomes are
directly affected by socio-economic levels, and this is explicitly linked in the rate of
educational attainment vis-a-vis per capita household income (Maligalig et al., 2010).
Despite the provision of free basic education, the external costs of enrollment such as
transportation, school supplies, etc. bear a heavy burden on poor families. That said, the
government has initiated programs to help alleviate this such as “No School Contributions
Collection” wherein extraneous monetary contributions apart are prohibited, and “Breakfast
Feeding Program” which aims to provide basic sustenance for undernourished students.
projects seem to not be as effective as they were intended to be, and children from these
impoverished sectors still remain vulnerable (2010). Therefore, the most apparent course of
action would be to provide money transfers to ensure that families are able to adequately
showing that uneducated parents tend to underinvest in their children’s education (Sachs,
2015). Given this information, training programs targeted towards family heads with low
educational attainment must also be initiated by the government. The capacity of students to
attend classes is not just that of the individual, but rather that of the entire household. And
through these projects, families where the students belong are tended as a whole, not just
Despite the increase in budget allocation for the said sector, the issue in access to
quality education still persists. The government must actively seek innovative solutions to
this problem, and the group proposes that institutionalization of public-private partnerships
(PPPs) in the education sector may prove to be effective. The role of the private sector is
greatly valued by the country, and the notion of PPP projects is not necessarily novel.
However, these projects have been mainly geared towards infrastructural development and
economic sustenance. As of 2018, only two of the 109 PPP projects are from the education
sector (Ricote, 2018). It is understandable that the complex nature of PPPs limits pipelined
projects, but their potential for the education sector is certainly not maximized. On the aspect
remote areas. This also includes establishment and maintenance of e-laboratories. Private
entities give the government the benefit of efficient operations and management of projects
insofar as the government ensures regular payments within the contract duration. Likewise,
with regards to raising the quality of education, PPP projects can improve education service
education service, and tutoring services (LaRocque, 2008). These may be manifested
Moreover, access and quality can be enhanced further through private financing programs.
Similar to the Education Voucher Scheme of Punjab, India, students are given the freedom
to choose an institution of their liking through vouchers or scholarship grants (Malik, 2010).
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deemed eligible. Through this program, apart from freedom of choice, students are also
given the opportunity to experience quality education from institutions not limited within their
vicinity.
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Conclusion
Through the Rights Based and Human Needs Approaches, the paper forwarded the
need to address gaps in quality education in the Philippines. Essentially, it argued that the
recent pandemic attests to the call for immediate solutions in not only addressing already
existing problems in Philippine education, but also responding to the new problems that
come with the recent crisis. Moreover, as analyzed through both local and global contexts,
the paper served as critical review on the current state of education in the country and its
approach: first, the need to highlight the role of the government in pushing the education
agenda at the forefront of priorities; and second, the potential of public-private partnerships
in the situation.
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