AGUDILLA, Montano Jr. L.

1. Quality education ensures seamless inclusivity and equitability as it plays a

vital and crucial role of preparing future-proof individuals who are not only
responsive to the society but responsible as well. It promotes lifelong learning
opportunity for all (Global Goals #4) regardless of color, gender, origin,
qualities, characteristics and the likes. It continuously works to liberate
individuals from the shackle of ignorance of the truth and its usefulness and
utilization in character-building and nation-building and not only in building
personal knowledge and skills. It creates creativity in unlocking imagination
and creates more opportunities by allowing the memories to be part of the
learning process.

It is for this universality of education that it should be grounded on the

universal truths and not on beliefs and values as they relate to different
cultures at different times and places. Relativity would limit the scope of
education. It would then result to giving partial answers to the world’s concerns
presented in UN Strategic Development Goals which sets the target of education
across boundaries. Relative truth will also limit the individual in its pursuit of
knowledge, theory as well as its utilization and maximization. Gamage,
Dehideniya & Ekanayake (2021) stressed out that Education providers,
especially schools, play an important role in helping young people to develop
and manage their physical, social and emotional well-being, and to live and
work with others in different contexts.

Similarly, the Ten-point Education Agenda known as Global Targets of

Education 2030 including (1) free primary and secondary education; (2) equal
access to quality pre-primary education; (3) equal access to affordable
technical, vocational and higher education; (4) increase the number of people
with relevant skills for financial success; (5) eliminate all discrimination in
education; (6) universal literacy and numeracy; (7) education for sustainable
development and global citizenship; (8) build and upgrade inclusive and safe
schools; (9) expand higher education scholarships for developing countries; and
(10) increase the supply of qualified teachers in developing countries also prove
that education must be grounded on the universal truths. This will bring people
together and unite them in their common home. Weber (2015) identified how it
makes the human experience more relatable in education. Understanding that
most people, across any geographical place and any human time period, have
experienced some of the same challenges, conflicts, joys and passions, is a
uniting, as well as valuable construct through which to teach a variety of
subjects increases the foundation of values which will become a stronghold of
the society.

With the universal truth and the dynamic quality of knowledge, the MATATAG
Agenda of the Department of Education of the Philippines, with its four critical
components (cited from https://www.deped.gov.ph/2023/01/30/matatag-
depeds-new-agenda-to-resolve-basic-education-woes/):
  MAke the curriculum relevant to produce competent and job-ready,
active, and responsible citizens;
 TAke steps to accelerate delivery of basic education facilities and
services;
 TAke good care of learners by promoting learner well-being, inclusive
education, and a positive learning environment; and
 Give support to teachers to teach better
also point out to this reality. MAking the curriculum relevant, being the first
critical component, will enable the schools in the Philippines to produce future-
proof individuals who are the pro-active and productive citizens of the
Philippines and of the world. The second critical component that is, TAke steps
to accelerate delivery of basic education facilities and services preserves the
quality learning delivery. The third component states that TAke good care of
learners by promoting learner well-being, inclusive education, and a positive
learning environment. This conforms to the Child-friendly School System (CFSS)
principles where learners are kept safe and secure in an inclusive education
system. Finally, the last component, Give support to teachers to teach better,
responds to the dynamic quality of the universal truths that is why the teachers
themselves must be given continuous education and training that they may be
equipped with knowledge, skills and competencies that would enable them
deliver quality education to the learners as they are the vehicle and the channel
learning in schools.

2. The sophists are known for their superiority in public speaking, debates, and
lawsuits (Pecorino, 2000). They handled cases not with the truths and
evidences but with the power of persuasion and words. They believed that
values are defined not by good deeds and words but by winning and succeeding
in its game plan regardless of the means by which a success is obtained.

With this kind of philosophical beliefs, the Sophists would definitely be pleased
with the way people are destroying the universal truths particularly through the
use of social media. They would enjoy how the people adhere to fake news and
criticisms to destroy human reputation and dignity of anyone else particularly
political rivals. They will celebrate with the way people are persuaded by public
opinion polls that are based on power, popularity and wealth and not on data.
They will be happy to see sound-bite commercials where the reality is concealed
and the evils are sugary coated that they may appear to be right and just. They
will feel successful with the way political campaigns and debates are destroying
the truth with the non sequitur and argumentum ad vaculum formulae where
dishonesty and lies would replace the truths and the realities from the mind of
the people.

They will also rejoice when they see how people in the society abhor the truths
by acting like the scribes and the pharisees in the Bible. They are now the
hypocrites in the society. They teach and preach the value of goodness but
never practice it. They do not walk the talk and they never will for like the
Sophists, words alone suffice.
 When this culture of death continues to persist in the society the Sophists will
live happy and proud century to century even if they existed long ago for they
survive fallacies and the art of deception.

3. Contributions of Plato, Aristotle, and Confucius to the development of

educational thought and practice in history.

In Fig 1. Below are the basic comparisons among Plato, Aristotle and
Confucius particularly in terms of their philosophy and the general contribution
to education system.

Figure 1 Comparison among Plato, Aristotle and Confucius

* Confucianism
*

* Idealism
* Mass education
* He also stressed the need for an all-
round education - physical, moral,
intellectual and social.
* He was the first to divide education
into the formal levels which we now
commonly use and to assign to them
appropriate ages and curricular
contents.
(Nwobodo, & Chukwu, 2023)
* Natural Realism
* the purpose of school was to develop
and exercise students’ potential for
reasoning, form ethical character, and
provide a skill and knowledge base.
* Schools were to prepare future
citizens with more functional
knowledge needed to conduct their
political, social, and economic affairs.
(Smith, 2020)
* Confucianism
* He contributed principles and
practices in education (pedagogies)
* Curriculum as the totality of learning
experiences provided to students must
be holistic, braod-based and integrated
* Education is a process of constant self-
improvement and training of noblemen
(junzi).
(Tan, 2015)

PLATO ARISTOTLE CONFUCIUS

Going deeper, below in Table 1 is a more detailed comparison among
Plato, Aristotle and Confucius. They are compared and contrast based on their
contribution to education and educational practices.

Various Plato Aristotle Confucius

contributions to
Education
Teaching Socratic Method Empirical Self-centered where
Approach which he approach which is the students are
inherited from the attainment of treated as independent
his teacher, knowledge based thinkers. This is
Socrates. This on observation reflective in nature
was done by hypothesis and allowing the students
means of asking direct experience to discover and learn
questions among (experimentation) until they become men
 the students in and women of Dao, a
order to explore well-rounded person.
knowledge and
ideas.
Teaching Inductive Deductive Meditation/
Methodology Reasoning is Reasoning is Reflection is based on
based from a based on the belief the reality that the
belief that that universal students are capable of
concepts have a forms were not personal discoveries.
universal form in necessarily
the world of ideas attached to each
and that what we object or concept,
see and observe and that there is a
would be enough need to observe
to prove an object and experience a
and identify its reality to be able
attributes. to identify its
qualities.
Curriculum Math, Science, Liberal Arts, A holistic,
Philosophy, Natural Sciences, comprehensive and
Ethics, Poetry Biology, Botany, integrated curriculum
Physiology, emphasizing student’s
Zoology cognitive, affective and
behavioral domains
Ethics He followed the He went beyond His influence in
idea of Socrates knowing what is character obviously
that knowledge is right is not enough shed light to the
virtue. This rather, the human development of Ethics
means for them person has to inculcating normative
that to know the choose to act in behaviors among
good the proper manner learners in order to
automatically and develop the help them become a
follows of doing habit of doing man of Dao.
it. good.

Subjects He contributed to He contributed Rituals, Music,

Science, new concepts in Archery, Charioteering,
Mathematics, Math, Physics, Writing, and Arithmetic
Physics, Geometry, are among the subjects
Geometry, Zoology, Botany, that he said must be
Biology and and Astronomy taught to the students
Astronomy but with his own in preparation for them
very few of his version of the becoming leader and
works expanded scientific method defender of the state.
the body of to observe the
knowledge universe and draw
conclusions
Education Formal and Aristotle Education is meant for
System inclusive recognized the men who are expected
 education. importance of to lead the society.
early childhood as
a formative period
of human
development. He
divided schooling
into three stages:
primary,
secondary, and
higher education.
Ages 7-14 would
attend primary
and could consist
of gymnastics,
writing, reading,
music, and
drawing. Ages 14-
21 would attend
secondary and
would continue
their primary
studies while
implementing
literature, poetry,
drama, choral
music, and
dancing. The last
four years would
be spent in
military drill,
tactics, and
strategy. Higher
studies would
begin at age 21
and continue as
long as the
student was
willing and able.
Higher education
was for males only
as Aristotle
believed women
were not capable
of such complex
studies.

Aim of Education To help the Education should Education should be

learners to have prepare the person aiming at transforming
an idea of the in the attainment the people and perfect
good which is to of excellence, their customs.
 be virtuous. happiness and full
Education should be
human about developing good
development political governance
and the good leaders.
Table 1 Detailed comparisons among Plato, Aristotle and Confucius.
4. How did racial, gender, and socioeconomic factors affect educational opportunities
in the past?
Socioeconomic, racial/ethnic, and gender inequalities have become great factors
affecting educational opportunities in the past. Where poverty is an issue so is
education. Poverty has been associated not only in money but is characterized by
many processes such as health and intellectual poverty. Among the effects of
socioeconomic factors to educational opportunities include:
 Children from low-income families are likely to be in the drop-out list as the
family cannot sustain the needs of the students in school. Similarly,
Buckingham, Wheldall, & Beaman-Wheldal (2013) discovered that they are less
likely to have experiences that encourage the development of fundamental skills
of reading, such as phonological awareness, vocabulary, and oral language.
 The learners from poor families were the ones identified with poor reading and
comprehension skills since this is correlated with the home literacy
environment, number of books owned, and parent distressed (Aikens &
Barbarin, 2008; Bergen, Zuijen, Bishop & Jong, 2016). This finding is based on
the fact that they have less access to reading materials both print and non-
print.
Similar profound effects are observed when racial/ethnic inequalities exist in
the society. Barry (1993) found out that, if highly observed, educational systems in
culturally diverse societies suffer from either fragmentation and loss of control. It can
also lead to alienation, and unrest.
As for the race, it was established in a study, that white teachers might be less
likely to spot black students who excel academically, for instance. On the other hand,
black students were three times more likely to be referred for the programs if their
teacher was black rather than white ( Journal of Public Administration Research and
Theory , 2016). It follows that with this bias, the real aims of education cannot be
realized. Worst, even the way teachers appraised the students or gave feedback is
dependent on the color of both the teacher and the students. Such disparity hampered
learning and obviously has affected the motivation of the students to learn so was the
performance. Classroom management and the way teachers disciplined the students
were also affected by racism. The teachers had discipline divide which was obviously
unjust and unacceptable to the learners.
Gender inequality also affected education and its system. UNESCO (2020)
recorded that while girls learning outcomes are improving faster than boys’, almost
two thirds of illiterate adults in the world are women, and three quarters of children
who are likely never to go to primary schools are girls. This was definitely an impact of
gender bias practices in society, in schools and among the families themselves. With
the belief that women should just stay at home and deprived them of the right to lead
the society or an army in a war, they were not sent to schools.
Therefore, striking justice in the society and eradicating these biases are the
answers to education poverty, poverty in labor and manpower, and moral poverty in
the world. Disparities have been causing us divides, it is about time to be united and
work together as stewards of our common home, the earth.
5. What facts or ideas are evidence that we still strongly hold on to historical practices
in education?
Humans are rational animals. They too are potential beings that need to be
formed, reformed, and transformed through education. As the years go by, this
process continues by means of learning, relearning and unlearning. As such, the
dynamic quality of learning is preserved and that developing student learning capacity
is applied in all levels of education and in all classes.
Historically, when the early Greek philosophers began to look for the urstoff of
the universe, the different philosophy of thoughts were born, knowledge was developed
and it did not stop from developing even until a formal education system has been
established. First, the Socratic Method, for instance has been in existence and is
continuously being used in education although in different structures and
terminologies as in “The Art of Questioning” or the “Higher Order Thinking Skills
(HOTS)” or, the “Lower Order thinking Skills (LOTS)” but similar in approach to
learning. It could have been influenced by another person such as Bloom (Anderson,
Lorin, & Krathwohl, 2001) but his revised taxonomy will also point out to this reality.
Second, experimentation and observation remain to be effective in capturing the
dynamism of knowledge and in creating creativity and developing critical thinking
skills (which are now termed as among the 21st century skills). These were the same
approach of the early philosophers in their pursuit for knowledge. Third, personal
reflection or self-mastery which was then proven to be effective in knowing the truth
and expanding knowledge even to metaphysics of things remain to be effective up to
present time. It remains to be useful in integrating ideas, establishing relationships
among concepts and building new knowledge. Fourth, the intertwine between theory
and praxis which gave meaning to the pursuit of knowledge of the early philosophers
and academicians remain in effect to the present educational system. This leads to the
realization of purpose and meaning of education. Lastly, the subjects that were taught
before remain to be relevant up to our era such as, Math, Botany, Physics, Music,
Arts, Zoology, Astronomy, among others.