UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES FOUNDATION

Cebu City

GRADUATE SCHOOL

Name: Joevan W. Alcala

COURSE CODE: EDUC 256
COURSE TITLE: CURRENT ISSUES IN PHILIPPINE EDUCATION

Requirements for Midterm

OUTPUT TO THE FOCUSED QUESTIONS LESSON 1-8

LESSON 1
1. Make a commentary reflection on the Educational System of the following:
Basic Education
Basic education refers to the whole range of educational activities taking place in
various settings (formal, non-formal and informal), that aim to meet basic learning needs. It
is also an essential requirement for the optimal development of human beings through
harnessing their true potential. Aside from that, quality basic education for all individuals
paves the way for an equalizing effect which puts the majority of the population in a
position to benefit from increased prosperity. Without basic education and its system that
ensures all children are learning, shared economic growth is likely to remain elusive. So,
basic education can be considered as a ticket for a brighter future.

Technical and Vocational Education

Investment in the training for technical and vocational education produces benefit
both to the individual and to society as a whole. The return on investment for society
will be a skilled workforce that will enable global competitiveness and economic
growth, while the return of the individual will be a better career path, increased earning
and a better quality of life. The concept of ‘human capital’ suggests that education and
training raises the productivity of workers and increases their lifetime earning capacity.
Governmentsperceive increased demands for skills when the labor supply shows
rapid growth, when employment grows quickly, or when employment increases
significantly. Governments have called upon vocational education and training (VET)
systems to help unemployed young people and older workers get jobs, reduce the burden
on higher education, attract foreign investment ensure rapid growth of earnings and
employment, and reduce the inequality of earnings between the rich and the poor.

Higher Education
Specifically, higher education is education provided by universities, colleges, and
other institutions that award academic degrees. Higher education includes both the
undergraduate (i.e., college) and the graduate (or postgraduate) levels. Higher education
offers graduates more jobs to choose from than are open to those who don't pursue
education beyond high school, and graduates typically earn more than non-graduates.
Higher education improves an individual's quality of life. Studies show that,
compared to high school graduates, college graduates have longer life spans, better access
to health care, better dietary and health practices, greater economic stability and security,
more prestigious employment and greater job satisfaction, less dependency on government
assistance, greater knowledge of government, greater community service and leadership,
more volunteer work, more self-confidence, and less criminal activity and incarceration. In
addition, college graduates supposedly have greater use of seatbelts, more continuing
education, greater Internet access, greater attendance at live performances, greater
participation in leisure and artistic activities, more book purchases, and higher voting rates.
Higher education, theoretically, will also enable individuals to expand their knowledge and
skills, express their thoughts clearly in speech and in writing, grasp abstract concepts and
theories, and increase their understanding of the world and their community.

LESSON 2
1. Explain and discuss thoroughly how the eight major issues in teacher education became
problems in the Educational System. Address workable solution of the eight problems.
Teaching and teacher education remain troubled fields, with the latter in need of
direction. Colleges of education need to exercise responsible leadership in this critical
period of our country’s education. The reform of teacher education and of the teaching
profession is two goals that teacher education institutions must continue to address. The
future of teacher education is inextricably interwoven with the future of teachers. Teacher
education will improve in direct relation to the improvement of the status of teachers in
society. The image of the teacher education student as intellectually inferior to other
students must change. Teacher education institutions can contribute to this goal by
addressing both external and internal factors. Externally, teacher education institutions
must continue to work with policy makers and professional organizations for the
improvement of teachers' salaries and working conditions, and for the creation of other
incentives for qualified students to pursue teacher education programs and go into
teaching. Scholarships and other forms of incentives must be expanded. Internally, teacher
education institutions should give strong consideration to improving entrance requirements
and to providing remedial experiences for those who cannot be admitted but who wishes to
prepare to meet these requirements. Alternative admission standards that would include
consideration of a person's motivation, leadership qualities, sensitivity, and potential or
teaching and learning, must be looked into. Raising standards tends to attract better
students.
A review of the teacher education curriculum shows a need to increase courses in the
major field. For practical reasons, teachersneed more depth and breadth in their field of
specialization. An uninformed or ignorant teacher can do much harm. A program of
carefully chosen courses in content is imperative for teachers to develop a solid grasp of
the goals and objectives of a field. Overall academic performance is positively associated
with successful teaching. It must be emphasized, however, that good teaching does not
automatically occur when teachers know their subject. While research suggests that
knowledge of subject matter does not necessarily makea person a good teacher of that
subject, it seems reasonable to conclude that teachers with good instructional capabilities
would be more effective if they had in depth knowledge of the subjects they teach. A critical
and continuing review of the curriculum should focus then on content and process and the
optimal utilization of the appropriate educational technology and strategies.

LESSON 3
1. What are the common reforms in public education system that you consider successful?
Weak?Failure?
 The reforms of the K-12 basic education curriculum are weak
Starting with the number of years, Aquino looks at an imagined standard of number
of years for basic education. However, thereis no world standard such as this. With this
there is a sense of competition, a perspective that reduces education as a mere vehicle for
economic benefits. Therefore, educational achievement is fixated at some artificial standard.
Basic education loses its primary purpose - an environment where everyone grows and
develops. Universal kindergarten matches some of the values. On the other hand, Aquino's
government dedication and commitment to this goal is questionable. The lack of funding
especially the government's mistreatment of kindergarten teachers clearly demonstrates
that the government is not serious about providing quality kindergarten for all. This is
simply a "show", to display on the surface that the current administration is better than the
previous ones which initiated installation of day care centers. The education problems in
Mindanao arise because of the presence of conflict. No education reform can address the
problems in which Mindanao faces without achieving peace in the region. Technical
vocational education is not basic education. The government already has agencies and
programs that address this track. Adding this to basic education simply takes the eyes of the
government away from the problems and shortages that both primary and secondary
schools experience. Commanding that the ability to read is gained by a certain age is also
not the job of a politician. This is a task of an educator.
Proficiency in math and science cannot be achieved by contests or fairs. Hoping that
the private sector takes some of the responsibility of providing quality basic education is a
dereliction of duty on the part of the government. The private sector should not shoulder
the basic needs of the education system while the government is wasting funds on
programs that are already bound to fail. How students will be taught cannot be decided by
politicians. What medium of instruction should be used needs to be made by the teachers
with consultations with parents and students and proper consideration of available
resources. Adding textbooks to a list of ten ways to fix education shows how deep Aquino's
government really understands education. This simply illustrates micromanagement.
Additional schools are needed; of course, there is a lack of resources. Large urban centers do
not have the space while rural areas do not have the funds. These problems cannot be
solved by a simple covenant between the national and local governments.
The education reform in the Philippines lacks all of the above characteristics of a
good education system, unfortunately. This is expected since the reforms are not based on
depth, length, breadth, justice, diversity, resourcefulness and conservation. DepEd's K to 12
sadly misses the most important ingredient in basic education: its teachers. Education
reform must come from teachers. Education reform must involve teachers. And first and
foremost, education reform can only begin with treating our teachers with respect and
appreciation.

2. What are the three most controversial reforms and projects of DEPED?CHED?

Food-For-School Program
 The Department of Education (DepEd) has suspended the contract of Jeverps
Manufacturing Corporation (JMC), the supplier of noodles for the Food-For-School
program because of allegations of overpricing and false nutritional claims. According to
DepEd Secretary JesliLapus, JMC’s contract would stay suspended pending review and
investigation.A P284.13-M contract was awarded by DepEd to JMC in 2007 for “fortified
noodles with fresh eggs”, and later in 2009, an additional P427.21-M for “fortified noodles
with fresh eggs and malunggay”.
Results of a study on the noodles conducted by a testing agency in Vietnam revealed
that “DepEd’s fortified instant noodle with fresh egg is made of flour and does not contain
any fresh egg but mere egg powder.”Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) records as of 19
February 2009 also showed that JMC has no record of license to operate.

Removal of Filipino subject in the new curriculum

The general education panel of the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) has
discussed the controversial memorandum order, which removes the Filipino subject in the
new curriculum under the K to 12 program.CHED chairperson Patricia Licuanan called the
meeting in the face of criticisms from various groups.
KomisyonsaWikang Filipino chairman and National Artist for Literature Virgilio
Almario said CHED Memorandum Order (CMO) 20 removes old general education subjects
taught in both English and Filipino.He added the syllabus of the new subjects is available
only in English. However, under the CMO, general education courses may be taught in
English or Filipino.
According to CHED, old college-level general education subjects, which include
Filipino, will be transferred to the K to 12 curriculum, specifically in the senior high school
(Grades 11 and 12) in 2018.Under the K to 12 program, Filipino students will have to go
through kindergarten, six years of elementary, four years of junior high school (Grade 7-10)
and two years of senior high school (Grade 11-12).
STAR columnist Isagani Cruz, who is a member of CHED’s technical panel on
general education, said he is personally against adding more units to the general education
curriculum.
Overpricing of computers
Philippine Government - via the Department of Education - bought massively
overpriced desktop computers for Php 400,000 each back in 2008 to 2010. The insanely high
per unit price of these PCs is enough to make anyone's blood boil -- considering all the
shortcomings of the Philippine government when it comes to the salary of teachers and
school officials and the dilapidated condition of a lot of public school buildings across the
country. But what's even more horrible - and this is something that will drive you out of
your wits - are the laughable technical specifications of the purchased computers.
Php 400,000? For that amount, the Philippine government could have bought 10
Macbook Air 11-inch units from Beyond The Box (with some discount) for teachers or 40
desktop PCs with decent technical specifications -- enough to fill a whole computer
laboratory. We missed these opportunities all because of selfish individuals who can't and
won't love our country enough. That, TP Friends, is what's really sad about this story. Let's
love our country and not do things that will be detrimental to the future of our nation.

LESSON 4
1. Make a commentary reflection on the Social Context of Education -1997? (minimum of
1000 words)
 Children in the United States come from a variety of family situations, income strata,
and cultural backgrounds. As a result, theirNation’s schools are faced with unique
challenges as they strive to provide equal educational opportunities to all students. Factors
such as family income, family structure, and parents’ education have been shown to
influence a child’s educational opportunities. Today, of the 4 million babies born each year,
nearly one out of eight is born to a teenage mother, one out of four to a mother with less
than a high school education, almost one out of three to a mother who lives in poverty, and
one out of four to an unmarried mother. These conditions have been shown to be associated
with children experiencing problems such as repeatinga grade, requiring special education
services, and being suspended and dropping out of school. Students from racial/ethnic
minority backgrounds and low income families are more at risk for poor school outcomes
and are becoming an increasing share of the student population. Since the mid-1960s,
studies have linked the educational disadvantage of minority students to a combination of
out-of-school factors, many of which center on family characteristics, such as poverty and
parents’ education.Changes over time in the composition of students in terms of factors
such as student English language proficiency, family income, parents’ education, and family
structure affect the social context of education.
The social context of education has changed over the past few decades. The structure
of families is shifting away from two biological parent families. The percentage of children
from minority backgrounds is increasing, as is the percentage of children who have
difficulty speaking English. Over the past 25 years, medianfamily income has been
relatively stagnant, and the poverty rate has changed very little. Black and Hispanic
children remain much more likely than white children to be living in poverty, a factor
associated with poor school outcomes. On the positive side, today children live in
households with more educated parents than they did a few decades ago and parents’
educationlevel is a strong predictor of student achievement.
Minority students are more likely to attend schools with a highlevel of poverty. This
is significant since in many ways the climate in high poverty schools appears to be less
conducive to learning than that in low poverty schools. Similarly, high poverty schools are,
on average, worse off than low poverty schools with regard to human and financial
resources. The social context in which schools operate can influence their effectiveness.
Changes in social context present challenges that schools must address to enhance their
effectiveness and ensure that education progress can occur.

LESSON 5
1. Discuss the provisions of at least five Educational Projects and Reforms in lesson 5.
Provisions on special education
The focus of special education programs is to facilitate access to an appropriate
education, regardless of the disability, to help the student achieve academic and life success.
Special education programs facilitate academic progress by providing the least restrictive
environment and tailoring instruction and assessment to the individual.Now, special
education students are routinely included in the general education environment, a strategy
referred to as inclusion. The inclusion environment not only facilitates academic progress,
but also acts to socialize special education students. This socialization is vital to their
personal growth and learning social skills that will be useful in the workforce.
Special education programs are geared toward teaching life skills, such as dressing,
personal hygiene, safety, handling money and day to day decision making. Students in
these programs are also educated on workplace expectations and often engage in programs
that provide workplace training. For instance, the local burger joint may employ one or
more of these students during a period of the school day so that they can get some on-the-
job experience. These special programs are essential if these students are to eventually enjoy
any degree of self-sufficiency.
Special education programs also teach behavior that is appropriate and acceptable by
society. Some students with disabilities may exhibit behaviors that are objectionable,
offensive or disruptive to social and classroom situations. Special education allows for some
tolerance of these behaviors within the instructional environment, as teachers work to
educate the student academically and behaviorally. Students who are overly aggressive or
exhibit behaviors that are socially inappropriate benefit from special education programs.

Provisions on No Child Left Behind (NCLB)

The primary purpose of NCLB is to ensure that students in every public school
achieve important learning goals while being educated in safe classrooms by well-prepared
teachers. To increase student achievement, the law requires that school districts assume
responsibility for all students reaching 100% student proficiency levels within 12 years on
tests assessing important academic content. Furthermore, NCLB requires schools to close
academic gaps between economically advantaged students and students who are from
different economic, racial, and ethnic backgrounds as well as students with disabilities.
To measure progress, NCLB requires that states administer tests to all public school
students. The states set proficiency standards, called adequate yearly progress, that
progressively increase the percentage of students in a district that must meet the proficiency
standard. If a school district does not meet these proficiency levels, the law mandates that
requirements be met and corrective actions applied.
No Child Left Behind has required a major shift in the ways that teachers,
administrators, and state department of education personnel think about public schooling.
NCLB is a controversial law that places educators under growing pressure to increase the
achievement of all students and to narrow the test score gap between groups of students.
Moreover, educators will now be held responsible for bringing about these changes.
Administrators and teachers will need to understand effective research-based instructional
strategies and be able to evaluate student’s instructional progress to make more effective
instructional decisions. Clearly, NCLB puts more pressure on the public education system
to increase student achievement for all students
Provisions on achievement gaps in education
The term achievement gap refers to any significant and persistent disparity in
academic performance or educational attainment between different groups of students,
such as white students and minorities, for example, or students from higher-income and
lower-income households.
Generally speaking, achievement gap refers to outputs—the unequal or inequitable
distribution of educational results and benefits—while opportunity gap refers to inputs—
the unequal or inequitable distribution of resources and opportunities. Learning gap refers
to relative performance of individual students—i.e., the disparity between what students
have actually learned and what they were expected to learn at a particular age or grade
level.
The achievement gap that separates low-income and minority students from their
peers is unacceptable. Data shows that gaps in achievement exist at every level in our
education system – from the early years through college completion. Research shows that
these gaps can be overcome.
Regardless of socioeconomic status or family background, students succeed if they
have a series of several good teachers, and they learn far more and fail less often in rigorous
courses than they do in low-level remedial courses. Studies demonstrate that poor and
minority students will achieve at the same high levels as other students if they are taught to
those levels. A clear relationship exists between low standards, low-level curriculum,
under-educated teachers, and poor results.
While we know that students can handle rigorous curriculum and should be given
that opportunity, not all students learn in the same ways and on the same schedule. Some
students need more time, extra support, and differentiated instructional methods in order to
reach high standards. Policies and programs must be in place to meet these needs.
Schools and districts across the state and country that are eliminating gaps in
achievement share four key characteristics:
1. Focus – clear and consistent goals, strategies, and leadership;
2. Rigorous curriculum – clearly defined high expectations of what students should be
learning and when it should be learned;
3. Good teaching; and
4. Necessary interventions.
Studies document a wide gap between lower- and higher- income children before
they enter Kindergarten. When children begin school behind, they tend to fall further and
further behind. High-quality early childhood education can help close this gap. The school
readiness skills gained in early childhood go well beyond the transition to Kindergarten.
They provide the foundational skills for the child’s success in life.

Provisions on the use of technology in schools

With the legal mandate of promoting the right of all citizens to take appropriate steps
in making education accessible to all, the Department of Education (DepEd) is geared
towards the transformation of education through the DepEd Computerization Program
(DCP).DCP aims to provide public schools with appropriate technologies that would
enhance the teaching-learning process and meet the challenges of the 21st century. This
program shall respond to the computer backlog of public schools by providing them
hardware and software, and training on simple trouble shooting.
Through this program and the combined efforts of other government agencies and
the private sector, 5,409 public secondary schools have been provided with at least one
computer laboratory each. This ranges from 10-20 computer units including other
peripherals depending on the agencies providing the computer units. The objectives of the
DepEd Computerization Program are as follows:
1. Provide computer laboratory packages to secondary schools;
2. Provide e-classroom to elementary schools;
3. Provide laptop units to mobile teachers;
4. Integrate ICT in the school system;
5. Raise the ICT literacy of learners, pupils, students, teachers and school heads; and
6. Reduce the computer backlog in public schools.
The following are the Program Components:
Infrastructure Provision
The Technical Service-Information and Communication Technology Unit (TS-ICTU)
together with the different Bureaus has come up with the configuration of the packages to
be given to the public schools. The configuration was based on how the teaching-learning
process can be enhanced through the aid of technology.
Computer Lab/ Multimedia Classroom Packages:
Regular Secondary Schools (Computer Lab Model)
Regular Schools
Qnty. Specifications
11 Desktop PC (Branded and Brand new)
1 Wireless Broadband Router (Branded and Brand new)
11 UPS (Branded and Brand new)
1 3-in-1 Inkjet Printer (Branded and Brand new)
Set Face to face lecture and hands-on training on basic software and hardware
installation
Augmentation of equipment for Secondary Schools with huge student enrollment shall be
based on the following criteria;
-9,000 and up: 150 terminals
-5,000 and 8,999: 50-100 terminals
-2,000 and 4,999: 50 terminals
Elementary Schools (E-Classroom Model)
Multimedia Classroom Package
Qnty. Specifications
1 Host PC (Branded and Brand new)
6 17" LCD Monitor (Branded and Brand new)
6 Keyboard and Mouse (Branded and Brand new)
2 kits Desktop Virtualization Kit using shared computing technology (Branded and Brand
new)
1 UPS (Branded and Brand new)
1 Interactive Whiteboard (Branded and Brand new)
1 3-in-1 Inkjet Printer (Branded and Brand new)
1 LCD Projector (Branded and Brand new)
Set Face to face lecture and hands-on training for Desktop Computer, Interactive
Whiteboard and Desktop Virtualization using Shared computing technology
Laptop Units for Mobile Teachers (Alternative Learning System)
Program Orientation
The Program Management Committee consisting of the ICT-TC, Technical Service-
ICTU and Bureaus shall conduct a program orientation for the recipient schools. Orientation
on the program shall be done before the packages shall be deployed to the schools.
Recipient schools shall be oriented on the packages even before these are deployed to their
respective schools.
The objectives of this activity are to:
- orient the schools on the counterpart requirements needed before the delivery of the
computer packages;
- orient the school heads on the inspection and acceptance of the computer packages; and
- enhance skills of users for instructional purposes and effective governance through an
ICT-aided environment.
Monitoring and Evaluation
To ensure the effectiveness of the program as well as the deployment of the
computer packages the Committee shall do a monitoring and evaluation of the program.
The Program Management Committee in coordination with Regional and Division ICT
Coordinators shall be mobilized to:
-validate the compliance of the recommended schools with the selection criteria;
-assist the schools in preparing for the delivery of the computers;
-supervise and coordinate the delivery of computers to the schools;
-monitor the utilization of the computers in their respective region; and
-submit reports on the implementation of the program.
The recipient schools shall be selected on the basis of the following basic criteria:
1. Must have on-site, stable and continuous supply of electricity and preferably with
telephone facilities (for those without electricity in secondary schools an alternative
computer laboratory package shall be provided);
2. Must have at least one (1) teacher assigned to handle Computer Education classes, to
manage the computer laboratory and willing to be trained on lab management including
hardware fundamentals and servicing;
3. Must have at least one (1) teacher each of English, Science and Math who are specialists in
their areas and willing to be trained on pedagogy-technology and to echo training to their
colleagues;
4. Must have the capacity to mobilize counterpart support from other stakeholders in the
community for needed structures / facilities;
5. Must have never been recipient of computers from other programs such as the DTI’s-PCs
for Public Schools Projects, CICT’s-iSchools Project, etc. unless the equipment are due for
replacement and augmentation; and
6. Must have strong partnership with other stakeholders to ensure sustainability of the
program.
Augmentation of ICT equipment for schools with huge enrollment shall be provided
based on enrollment. For Secondary Schools with 9,000 and above student population, they
shall receive 150 terminals. Secondary Schools with 5,000-8,999 enrollees shall receive an
augmentation of 50-100 terminals. On the other hand, secondary schools with 2,000 to 4,999
student population shall receive 50 terminals.
Annually, the allotted budget for the DepEd Computerization Program shall be
provided under the General Appropriations Act (GAA) to support the procurement of
computer hardware and software.
With the consolidation of the different computerization programs both from other
government agencies and the private sector, this Department shall take the initiative that by
SY 2009-2010 all secondary schools shall have computer laboratories.Although the backlog
in the deployment of computer laboratories to public high schools is targeted to be finished
by the end of this school year, the issue on obsolescence of existing ICT resources and
improving the computer-student ratio at the secondary level shall be addressed by SY 2010-
2011.
The program shall also be expanded to cater to the needs of teachers from selected
public elementary schools of the Bureau of Elementary Education (BEE) (2009-2010) and the
mobile teachers of the Bureau of Alternative Learning System (BALS) (2009-2010).

Provisions on professional pay of teachers

In response to the long-standing criticism that public school teachers in the
Philippines are overworked and underpaid, two party-list lawmakers have proposed
increasing the minimum salary of educators from an average of P18,500 to at least P36,000.
House Bill 4081 filed by Magdalo party-list Representatives Francisco Ashley Acedillo and
Gary Alejano seeks to upgrade the salary grade level of teachers in public elementary and
secondary schools from the present Salary Grade (SG) 11 to SG 20.
Public school educators currently receive a minimum salary of P18,549 under the
third phase of the Salary Standardization Law. Government employees under SG 20,
meanwhile, have a basic monthly rate of P36,567. Under the measure, the upgrade in the
teachers’ salary shall be adjusted in accordance with their qualifications and length of
service. Their pay, however, shall not be prejudiced by across-the-board adjustments.
Acedillo said in the bill’s explanatory note that the proposal aims to give life to the
Constitutional provision mandating the State to give the highest budgetary priority to
education and ensure adequate remuneration to those in the teaching profession.
Paragraph 5 under Section 5 of Article 6 provides that “the State shall assign the
highest budgetary priority to education and ensure that teaching will attract and retain its
rightful share of the best available talents through adequate remuneration and other means
of job satisfaction and fulfillment.”
But even with this provision, the lawmaker said public school teachers remain
inadequately compensated for their hard work.“Despite the fact that they are looked upon
and heralded as molders of the youth, public school teachers receive a basic salary under
the Salary Standardization Law (SSL3) of P18,549 only,” Acedillo said.
Aside from mandating the national government to allocate the necessary amount to
fund the salary increase of educators, the bill also requires the Department of Education
(DepEd) to immediately come up with the specific programmed budget needed to cover the
expenses for the upgrading in salary levels for all the corresponding teacher plantilla
positions over a period of three years.
This is to give the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) enough time to
make the necessary budgetary adjustments to facilitate the smooth implementation of the
proposed Act once it becomes a law.
Should HB 4081 be passed into law, the amount intended to fund the salary increase
of public school teachers shall be included in the General Appropriations Act (GAA) for the
year following its enactment. Last year, Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara filed a similar bill
seeking to upgrade the salary grade level of public school teachers from SG 11 to SG 19.
Educators in the public school system stand to receive a basic monthly pay of P33,859
should Senate Bill 61 become a law

2. Which of the reforms are not properly exercised by the authority in Education? Why?
Reforms on the upgrade of teacher’s salary/professional pay
The non-inclusion of salary increase for teachers and other personnel in the 2015
national budget shows that this particular reform does not depict authority in
education.Teachers' pay is intimately related to the quality of education.In a recent study by
The New Teacher Project (TNTP) in the United States, how teachers are paid has been
tagged as a determining factor on who enters the profession and as important, on who
stays. The study, entitled Shortchanged: The Hidden Costs of Lockstep Teacher Pay,
emphasizes the significance of the starting salary as well as the dependence of promotions
and salary increase only on number of years served or advanced degrees obtained. The
study proposes a smarter way of deciding how much to pay teachers. Deciding salary rates
without paying attention to the needs and challenges of schools is suggested to lead to the
following undesirable outcomes:
• It makes it hard to recruit top talent. Even people willing to look past the low starting
salaries are turned off by the profession’s low expectations and willingness to reward
mediocrity.
• It pushes great teachers out of the classroom—and encourages ineffective teachers to stay.
A conservative estimate is that school districts nationwide spend at least $250 million
annually on automatic pay increases for their ineffective teachers, draining funds that could
be used to offer more competitive salaries to newand early-career teachers and reward high
performers at every level.
• It discourages high performers from teaching in the schools that need them most. Great
teachers should be encouraged—and rewarded—for teaching in high-poverty schools, but
most compensation systems treat every teaching assignment the same.
The recommendations for this problem begin with higher starting salaries.The next
two recommendations go further than this. It requires those who supervise schools to pay
closer attention to the challenges and connect these to how salary increases are determined.
It entails much more proactive observations of how schools operate. Raises must not be
determined solely by numbers or measures that do not really tell the entire story. These
must be based on what is actually happening inside a classroom. In addition, salaries must
be used to address where the greatest needs are. Thus, in a nutshell, the solution is active
and competent leadership. The problem is that the government seems to lack both.

LESSON 6
1. Create reforms or solutions to the following problems:
Quality
An educational reform must be initiated in which it shall play an important catalytic
role in implementation of strategic elements for school-based management, teacher
standards and quality assurance.The role of education in economic development is widely
acknowledged: education increases the innovative capacity of an economy and facilitates
the diffusion, adoption, and adaptation of new ideas. More specifically, education increases
the amount of human capital available, thereby increasing productivity and ultimately
output. So how can we improve the quality of education? The role of regional cooperation
will surely help in improving the quality of education.
Regulatory reform is also needed to ensure that the quality of education received at
home is high enough to give domestic Filipino students access to education and work
abroad. This reform process must start by establishing a credible accreditation system,
because under the current system of voluntary self-regulation, less than 20 percent of higher
education institutions in the Philippines are accredited. Forms of international cooperation
other than through trade in education services would allow the Philippines to improve the
quality of domestic education by following the example set by Malaysia, which has linked
its own accreditation system to international ones.
The Philippines can also pursue bilateral mutual recognition agreements. Such
agreements should include quality assurance on the part of both countries. In this way, even
if the standards are not at the same level as in higher-income countries, there will be
pressure on some of the higher education institutions in the Philippines to improve their
programs and facilities in order to gain accreditation. Such agreements, whether bilateral or
as part of the ASEAN Quality Assurance Network (AQAN), might make it easier for
Filipino policy makers to argue for domestic reform on the basis that it is necessary to meet
international agreements. With a higher-quality higher education system, the Philippines
would then be better placed to reap the well-documented economic benefits of an educated
population.

Budget
One way of solving the problems in educational budget is to eliminate corruption.
There must be a program that will help in closely monitoring the programs of Dep.Ed.
which require funding. Government Watch (G-Watch), a social accountability program
connected to the Ateneo School of Government, has established a cooperation with the
Department of Education (DepEd) and Civil Society Organizations nationwide to
implement the “Textbook Count” project. The project was started in 2003 and has continued
over the years. It is geared toward eliminating corruption in textbook procurement,
systematizing textbook deliveries nationwide, making suppliers more responsive to clients’
needs, and mobilizing citizens for monitoring and inspection to achieve greater
transparency. Results achieved include the successful safeguarding of the bidding process,
ensuring textbook quality and the right quantity and quality of textbook deliveries to the
right recipients at the right point of time.
The basic premise underlying the approach adopted by G-Watch in addressing
corruption in the DepEd is that active participation of citizens in the critical process of
governing results in more transparency and higher performance standards, minimizing
corruption and deviations from rules and standards.
At the outset, a few young researchers of G-Watch conducted a pilot monitoring
exercise in several parts of the country, using an easy-to-use tool that compared what was
expected in terms of time, quantity, quality, cost and process of the textbook delivery with
the actual values observed. In response to the findings, a pioneering initiative was
launched, “Textbook Count”, that was jointly conceptualized by the DepEd leadership and
G-Watch. G-Watch facilitated the first four annual rounds of monitoring and then stepped
back to allow the program to continue as a government-community partnership. The key
players are the DepEd’s Instructional Materials Council Secretariat (IMCS) and the
Textbook Count Consortium of CSOs that organize civil society participation.
The G-Watch social accountability approach involves five elements that address the
common challenges and issues confronting anti-corruption efforts in civil society.
1) The focus is on a joint and constructive effort between government and civil society. All
key actors enter into a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) that clarifies the expectations
and responsibilities of all parties involved. The constructive approach ensures civil society’s
access to critical information, to processes and to DepEd officials, an important prerequisite
for monitoring government service delivery.
2) The approach is preventive. G-Watch monitoring clarifies standards at the outset and
allows monitors to see if the standards are met while the service delivery is on-going. This
way monitoring serves as affirmative action, a gentle push to support compliance while
allowing opportunities for immediate remedy of deviations detected in the course of
monitoring through a quick feedback mechanism integrated into the system.
3) The approach is community-based and emphasizes involving beneficiaries as monitors.
This is a strategic response to address two things: Scale and Empowerment. A preventive
monitoring program of a nationwide service delivery requires monitors to be present where
and when service delivery happens. The key to this is utilizing beneficiaries and
communities at the local level, while mobilizing national- and regional-based CSOs to cover
other areas of service delivery such as procurement, warehouse inspection, etc. The
capacity-building of beneficiaries to act as monitors, raising awareness as to what are their
rights and entitlements, addressing a critical cultural problem in the country: Many citizens
have a “clientelistic” attitude, feeling they “owe” the politicians or government officials (the
patrons) they receive services from. Turning beneficiaries into monitors strengthens their
sense of rights and equips them with a constructive way to express their demands.
4) Fourth, G-Watch’s approach places emphasis on keeping citizen monitoring as simple
and straight forward as possible through easy-to-use tools. Often tools are checklists with
clear points for monitors to assess what they should be looking for. It provides the
necessary space to jot down actual observations and all details required to support the
observations made.
5) Finally, and to ensure objectivity as well as follow-up to the observations made by
monitors, G-Watch highlights the importance of evidence and data gathered using the
monitoring tools to then use the data for continuous advocacy, recommending reforms, and
soliciting a public sector response that addresses shortcomings.

Affordability
It’s very important for individuals to receive a higher education. Preparation for jobs
and career is seen as the primary role for higher education, but the public also stresses the
importance of general skills such as maturity and getting along with others. There is a great
importance in attaining college education for most people because of employment
purposes.
Problems about price, confidence and accessibility to education are one of the major
concerns. Many Americans, especially parents, are concerned about the price of higher
education. Although they know very little about the details, they feel that rising prices
threaten to make higher education inaccessible to many people. Despite all of the anxiety,
however, Americans seem confident that those who are sufficiently qualified and motivated
are currently able to attend college. Parents of high school students are optimistic that their
children will be able to get a higher education. Our focus group respondents said that even
if prices increase, students and families can compensate by “trading down” to a local
community college rather than going to a four-year school, or by attending college part-time
rather than full-time.
The role of government. There is public support for a government role in making
college affordable, but the public does not think that this area should be a major priority for
government attention. Our focus group respondents felt that it was more important for
government to intervene in other areas (such as health care, retirement, or the environment)
in which people really cannot cope without government support. The public supports
financial aid generally, and gives most support to tax breaks and work-study.
Other ways to keep college affordable. Although the public has not thought through
the complexities of higher education financing, Americans are opposed to approaches that
reduce access either by raising tuition or admitting fewer students. They are more
sympathetic to approaches that emphasize greater contributions from the state or savings
by colleges themselves.

Mismatch
Many efforts to address the alarming national concern about job mismatch have been
reported. One of this is TESDA acting as a bridge between industries and the local
education sector regarding further training applicable to a wide range of “hot jobs”, career
skills coaching sessions for high school seniors, seminars for school and university heads
and Commission on Higher Education (CHED) officials, career guidance advocacy
activities, Angara’s Bill of Rights of New Graduates, more job fairs, reverse migration, and
a Municipal Career Advocacy Congress (MCAC). For the same purpose, it is also
recommended for graduating high school students to take career assessment exams
whether given by the school or via the Internet, and for schools to come up with a short but
substantive program for them to discuss employment trends and corporate practices.
In such activities, focus should also include what is believed to be the ultimate
solution to the root of the issue: having above average to excellent communication skills.
Communicating fluently and effectively is one of the main weapons of an applicant –
written communication when creating resumes, portfolios and cover letters, and oral
communication during job interviews. The ability to express and build up oneself verbally
and in writing can actually turn things around during the critical stages in the application
process. They can explain to employers in detail their core competencies and experiences, as
well as justify with conviction why they deserve to be in that position they’re applying for
and receive the compensation package and benefits that they expect. The same routine also
takes place when the applicant-turned-employee proves his or her worth for a raise, a
lateral transfer or a promotion.
To be globally competent, one must be eloquent in the English language. Be it here or
abroad as long as employment is under a company managed by native English speakers
and non-native English speaking foreigners, thorough knowledge in the universal language
of business communication and the ability to speak and write in it the way it should be
done lead to the road to local and international success.

LESSON 7
1. Comment on the 9 doable reform proposals of PCER

Establishment of the National Coordinating Council for Education (NCCE)

This Council is indeed important in the over-all management of educational system
but the members of this council must be competent and innovative enough to create
necessary plans which can help solve issues in sub-sectoral levels as well as other issues that
will likely arise in the system.

Rationalization, within a Moratorium Period, of the Creation and Conversion, of State

Universities and Colleges
There must an existing policy that must be followed in the creation of state
universities and colleges so that proper standards in education will be met.

Re-orienting the Premises for Financing Higher Education

Allocated budgets for colleges, universities, public elementary and secondary
education institutions must be properly audited and manage in order for plans and
programs to be fully realized. Financial resources need be carefully planned on what
particular problematic areas must be prioritized.

Establishment of a One-Year Pre-Baccalaureate System

This system is beneficial to high school graduate students however the budget and
additional facilities for the establishment of this system must be considered first. Not all
students will pursue a bachelor’s degree and some would prefer to enroll in short term
vocational courses.

Faculty Development at the Tertiary Level

Professional development of teachers and faculty members must also be prioritized
so that the services they render will improve. Improvement in the delivery of instruction
constitute for the attainment of quality education.

Strengthening Teacher Competencies at the Basic Education Level

This must be emphasized so that teachers will become more capable in their
respective school stations. Aside from that, this also ensures quality learning on the part of
the students and at the same time transforming them into life-long learners which are
functional in the society.
Expanding the Options for Medium of Instruction in Grade I through the Use of the
Regional Lingua Franca or the Vernacular
 This must be carefully studied before any program or reform is implemented.
Emphasis in the improvement of on English proficiency must be taken into consideration
since Philippines is regarded as an English speaking country. Success in the improvement of
English proficiency also entails success in other subjects areas which uses English Language
as the medium.

Establishment of the National Educational Evaluation and Testing System (NEETS)

Assessment and evaluation of the over-all status of our education is important but
there must be an organized system as to how it must be carried out. In order to monitor the
progress of education across all level, there must be a well-organized preparation as well as
proper conduct the assessment not to mention the tools which will be used in the conduct of
the assessment.

Establishing Common Standard for Accreditation per Discipline

Accreditation process is important in order to ensure quality education especially to
higher education institutions like universities and colleges. However standards for the
accreditation process must be clearly set so that colleges and universities will be properly
guided.

1. Create a forecast on the ICT integration in Philippine Educational System.

ICT is introduced at the elementary level as a subject called Home Economics and
Livelihood Education (HELE) and in the secondary level as Technology and Livelihood
Education (TLE). In the majority of cases, ICT materials such as software and multimedia
are used to supplement instruction. Philippine DepEd has policies on the use of ICT. These
are: (1) technology must be studied first as a separate subject, then applied in other learning
areas as a tool for learning how to learn; (2) the application of computer skills to the other
learning areas is a curriculum policy that stems from the principle that teaching-learning
must not be textbook-driven, and educational processes should take advantage of
technological developments, including the application of ICT in teaching and learning,
where appropriate; and (3) an education modernization program will equip schools
with facilities, equipment, materials and skills and introduce new learning and
delivery systems necessary to capitalize on recent technological developments. The bulk of
investment requirements for implementing ICT in education come from government
funding. However, the DepEd involves other government agencies, local governments and
the private sector to finance various components of building up a program in ICT in
education.
A national population survey of public and private elementary and secondary
schools was conducted by SEAMEO INNOTECH Philippines in 2001 to determine ICT
capabilities of schools. A total of 45,811 schools from the 16 regions of the country were
given questionnaires, with the school heads as respondent, of which 79.37% responded. The
questionnaire focused on the readiness of schools in terms of infrastructure, hardware,
software and manpower capabilities on ICT. Some of the major findings of the survey at the
national level showed that 5,217 schools only or 14.28% have computers with the National
Capital Region having the highest percentage at 87.30%, only 18.24% of schools have staff
proficient in the use of computers, and only very few schools (13.13%) have school heads
with ICT training in the previous 5 years.
The survey also indicated the need of these schools to implement standards for
technology use. What kinds of changes in knowledge, skills and competencies are required
from teachers and students in the use of ICT? In order to serve as a basis for developing
knowledge, skills and competencies in the use of ICT, as well as in comparing outcomes of
ICT use against goals set, few countries have set standards for technology use.
The primary factor that influences the effectiveness of learning is not the
availability of technology, but the pedagogical design for effective use of ICT. The
computer should be fitted into the curriculum, not the curriculum into the computer.
Therefore, effective ICT integration should focus on pedagogy design by justifying how the
technology is used in such a way and why. Effective ICT integration into the learning
process has the potential to engage learners.
More and more, schools and universities present themselves as innovative
educational institutes by utilizing web-based technology or the Internet to deliver
instruction. In the last few years, there is an emergence of distance education programs in
the Philippines, particularly in tertiary level, like the University of the Philippines
Open University (UPOU), the largest that offers undergraduate and graduate school
programs recognized by the Commission on Higher Education. From the business sector,
many BPO companies caterto providingEnglish onlinelearning classes to students mostly
outside the country. A-Plus Languages Online is a company that delivers language online
instruction to some primary, secondary and tertiary private schools in Metro Manila. Using
ICT tools, students can learn Mandarin synchronously with teachers who are based in
Xiamen, China.
Though there is a wide use of the Internet in the business sector, more than 70% of
schools have no access to the Internet, particularly the public schools. The schools in Metro
Manila, have the greatest access to the Internet, but the incidence of connectivity
decreases as one goes northwards and southwards throughout the archipelago.