History of the

Philippine
Educational System

Prepared by:
Arles M. Magdipig
Education in the Philippines evolved from early settlers to the
present. Education in the country is in great importance because
it is the primary avenue for upward social and economic
mobility. Philippine educational system has a very deep history
from the past in which it has undergone several stage of
development going to the present system of education.
Education from Ancient Early
Filipinos
The education of pre-Spanish time in the Philippines was informal and
unstructured. The fathers taught their sons how to look for food and other
means of livelihood. The mothers taught their girls to do the household
chores. This education basically prepared their children to become good
husband and wives.
Filipino men and women knows how to read and write using their own native
alphabet called Alibata. The Alibata was composed of 17 symbols
representing the letters of the alphabet. Among these seventeen symbols
were three vowels and fourteen consonants.


Educational System during Spanish
Period
The pre-Spanish system of education underwent major changes during the Spanish
colonization. The tribal tutors were replaced by the Spanish Missionaries. Education was
religion-oriented. It was for the elite, especially in the early years of Spanish colonization.
Educational Decree 1863
The first educational system for students in the country was established by virtue of the
Education Decree of 1863. In furtherance, the decree required the government to provide
school institutions for boys and girls in every town. As a consequence, the Spanish schools
started accepting Filipino students. It was during this time when the intellectual Filipinos
emerged. The Normal School was also established which gave men the opportunity to study
a three-year teacher education for the primary level.

Educational System during
American Period

The defeat of Spain by American forces paved the way for Aguinaldo's Republic under
a Revolutionary Government. The schools maintained by Spain for more than three
centuries were closed for the time being but were reopened on August 29, 1898 by
the Secretary of Interior. The Burgos Institute in Malolos, the Military Academy of
Malolos, and the Literary University of the Philippines were established. A system of
free and compulsory elementary education was established by the Malolos
Constitution.

An adequate secularized and free public school system during the first decade of
American rule was established upon the recommendation of the Schurman
Commission. Free primary instruction that trained the people for the duties of
citizenship and avocation was enforced by the Taft Commission per instructions of
President McKinley. Chaplains and non-commissioned officers were assigned to
teach using English as the medium of instruction.
A highly centralized public school system was installed in 1901 by the Philippine
Commission by virtue of Act No. 74. The implementation of this Act created a heavy
shortage of teachers so the Philippine Commission authorized the Secretary of Public
Instruction to bring to the Philippines 600 teachers from the U.S.A. They were the
Thomasites.

Act No. 74, Education Act of 1901
[No. 74.] AN ACT establishing a department of public instruction in the
Philippine Islands, and appropriating forty thousand dollars ($40,000) for
the organization and maintenance of a normal, and a trade school in
Manila, and fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) for the organization and
maintenance of an agricultural school in the island of Negros for the year
1901. By authority of the President of the United States, be it
enacted by the United States Philippine Commission.
October 8, 1902, Public Act No. 74 was amended by Public Act No. 477, which
created a new office, a Bureau of Education, under the Department of Public
Instruction.
a) The function is to supervise and administer the public school system of the
country.
b) The head is called General Superintendent of Schools, who was under the Secretary of
the Department of Public Instruction.
c) The Schools divisions was increase to 36, under s division superintendent.

1925 Monroe Survey Commission Act No. 3162 and 3196 Educational reforms
Evaluation of teaching and learning
1927 American Director of the Bureau of Education ; aims for education
1.Training for self-government
2. Provision of English as a common language

1917, two regional normal schools were put up (Cebu
and Ilocos Norte)
a) Bayambang Normal School
b) Leyte Normal School
c) Albay Normal School
The aim of which is to train enough teachers for all the
regions.

November 3, 1936
Commonwealth act 117
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTIONS ONE, THREE, SEVEN, EIGHT, TEN,
SEVENTEEN, AND TWENTY-ONE OF ACT NUMBERED TWENTY-EIGHT
HUNDRED AND THIRTY-THREE AS AMENDED BY ACTS NUMBERED TWENTY-
NINE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SIX, THIRTY HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SIX,
THIRTY-SIX HUNDRED AND FIVE, AND THIRTY-SEVEN HUNDRED AND SIXTY-
ONE, REGARDING INCOME TAX.
October 26, 1936
Commonwealth Act 80-
AN ACT CREATING THE OFFICE OF ADULT EDUCATION, ENUMERATING ITS
DUTIES, DEFINING ITS OBJECTIVES, AND PROVIDING FUNDS FOR ITS
OPERATION.
established the Office of Adult Education (vocational training in an effort to
eliminate illiteracy
Commonwealth Act#578 (June 8, 1940) conferred the status of
PERSONS IN AUTHORITY upon teachers
EDUCATION DURING COMMONWEALTH
PERIOD
In 1940,
AIMS Legal Mandate To develop moral character, personal discipline, civic conscience and
vocational efficiency To teach the duties of citizenship
Executive Order no.17 Quezon Code of Ethics ; foundation of the emerging philosophy
of Philippine education
Executive Order no. 134 in 1940 Tagalog as the basis of a national language
Executive order no. 263 in 1940 - required teaching of the Filipino national language
Education during the Japanese Era Educational Aims - Making people understand the
position of the Phil as a member of the East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere.

Education act 1940

Known as the Educational Act of 1940, that provides the legal basis of the present six-
year elementary course, the school entrance ages, and national support of elementary
education. The same Act fixed the school entrance age at seven years and required
compulsory attendance in the primary grades for all children enrolling in grade 1,
adoption of the single-session, one class in the morning and another in the afternoon
under one teacher to accommodate more children, and the support of public elementary
education by the national government.


June 14, 1947 (Republic Act No. 134 )
-A new thrust on community development Legal Mandates - Board of Textbooks was
created according to R.A. 139 was enacted.
- Civil service eligibility of teachers was made permanent pursuant to R.A. 1079.
- Board of National Education (BNE) was formulating educational policies to give
direction to Phil education.
- Flag ceremony was made compulsory in all schools including the singing of the National
Anthem.
REPUBLIC ACT NO. 139
An act to amend certain sections of act numbered twenty-nine hundred and fifty-
seven, entitled "an act creating a board to have charge of the selection and approval of
the textbooks to be used by the colleges and schools of the government, and for other
purposes," as amended by act numbered thirty-one hundred and eighty-five, thirty-
four hundred and two, and thirty-seven hundred and seventy-two

July 1, 1949 (Republic act no. 416)

AN ACT FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONVERTING THE PRESENT PHILIPPINE NORMAL
SCHOOL INTO THE PHILIPPINE NORMAL COLLEGE, CONFERRING THE DEGREES OF
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN ELEMENTARY EDUCATION AND MASTER OF ARTS IN
EDUCATION, PROVIDING FOR A BOARD OF TRUSTEES, DEFINING THE BOARD'S
RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES, PROVIDING PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNICAL
INSTRUCTION, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.



REPUBLIC ACT 587 (September 22, 1951)
AN ACT TO AMEND SUBSECTIONS (a) AND (b) OF SECTION THREE, ARTICLE TWO OF
CHAPTER ONE; SUBSECTIONS (b) AND (d) OF SECTION FIVE, SUBSECTIONS (a), (b),
(c), (i), (j), (m) AND (n) OF SECTION SEVEN OF ARTICLE ONE, SECTION EIGHT,
SUBSECTIONS (a) AND (d) OF SECTION NINE, AND SECTION TEN, ARTICLE TWO OF
CHAPTER TWO, AND INSERT A NEW SECTION BETWEEN SECTIONS EIGHT AND
NINE OF THIS ARTICLE TO BE KNOWN AS SECTION EIGHT-A WITH NEW
SUBSECTIONS (a), (b), (c) AND (d) AND AMEND, FURTHER, SUBSECTION (a) OF
SECTION THIRTEEN, SECTIONS FOURTEEN AND NINETEEN, ARTICLE THREE OF
CHAPTER TWO; SECTIONS TWENTY-FOUR, THIRTY-ONE AND THIRTY-FIVE,
ARTICLE ONE, SECTION THIRTY-EIGHT, ARTICLE TWO OF CHAPTER THREE; AND
SECTION SIXTY-SEVEN OF ARTICLE ONE AND SUBSECTION (b) OF SECTION
SEVENTY OF ARTICLE TWO OF CHAPTER FOUR OF ACT NUMBERED THIRTY-NINE
HUNDRED AND NINETY-TWO, AS AMENDED BY COMMONWEALTH ACT NUMBERED
ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-THREE, AND AS FURTHER AMENDED BY
COMMONWEALTH ACTS NUMBERED FIVE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-SIX AND SIX
HUNDRED AND FIFTY-TWO
June 16, 1954

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 1124 AN ACT CREATING A BOARD OF NATIONAL EDUCATION
CHARGED WITH THE DUTY OF FORMULATING GENERAL EDUCATION POLICIES AND
DIRECTING THE EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS OF THE NATION

June 18, 1964
Republic act no. 4007
AN ACT AMENDING SECTION SIXTEEN HUNDRED EIGHTY-SIX OF THE REVISED
ADMINISTRATIVE CODE, AS AMENDED BY REPUBLIC ACT NUMBERED TWELVE
HUNDRED SEVENTY-SEVEN.

The life, the works and writings of Jose Rizal shall be included in all levels.
- Elementary education was nationalized. - Promote the socio-economic status of the
public school teachers.

As mandated by R.A. 6132.
- President Ferdinand Marcos created the Constitutional Convention to be presided over
by President Macapagal Arroyo.


June 18, 1966
Republic act 4670
THE MAGNA CARTA FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS.
Its purpose is to provide programs for the promotion and improvement of the well-being
and economic status of public school teachers.
August 4, 1969
REPUBLIC ACT NO. 6054 - AN ACT TO INSTITUTE A CHARTER FOR BARRIO HIGH
SCHOOLS



In 1969,
President Marcos created the Presidential Commission to Study the Philippine Education
(PCSPE). Education during the New Society Educational Aims - Provision for a broad
education.
- Manpower training in middle-level skills.
- Development of the high-level professions and evaluation. Aims of Education in the
1973 Constitution - To foster love for country
- Teach the duties of citizenship
- Develop moral character. Agencies - Curricular changes in elementary education
- Integration of values in all learning areas
- Emphasis on mastery learning
- Curricular changes in secondary education
- Increased in time allotment


REPUBLIC ACT NO. 6054
- AN ACT TO INSTITUTE
A CHARTER FOR BARRIO HIGH SCHOOLS


September 29, 1972
PRESIDENTIAL DECREE No. 6-A
Authorizing the undertaking of educational development projects, providing
for the mechanics of implementation and financing thereof, and for other
purposes.


1973 Constitution
To foster love for country
- Teach the duties of citizenship
- Develop moral character.
Agencies - Curricular changes in elementary education
- Integration of values in all learning areas
- Emphasis on mastery learning
- Curricular changes in secondary education
- Increased in time allotment
- Elective offerings as part of curriculum Media of Instruction - Bilingual Education Policy:
use of English and Filipino as media of instruction in specific learning areas. Educational
Programs Initiated - Project IMPACT- Instructional Management by Parents, Community,
and Teachers.


September 11, 1982
BATAS PAMBANSA BLG. 232
AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF AN
INTEGRATED SYSTEM OF EDUCATION

Executive Order No. 14 dated May 7,
1986
WHEREAS, Executive Order No. 14 dated May 7, 1986 was issued vesting in the
Sandiganbayan original and exclusive jurisdiction over all criminal and civil suits filed by
the Presidential Commission on Good Government
On June 2, 1994
Congress repealed the National College Entrance Examination. Along the
professionalization of teachers started by P.D. 1001 R.A. 7836 was signed into law on
December 16, 1994. It has 3 important provisions:
-Creation of the Board for Professional Teachers composed of 5 commissioners
under PRC;
-Replacement of PBET by LET (Licensure Examination for Teachers);
-Transfer of authority of administering the LET from CSC and DECS to the Board of
Professional Teachers under PRC, and
The formulation, adoption, and promulgation of the Code of Ethical and Professional
standards for Professional Teachers.
In August 2001
Republic Act 9155

Otherwise called the Governance of Basic Education Act, was passed. This act changed
the name of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) to the Department
of Education and redefined the role of field offices (regional offices, division offices,
district offices and schools). The act provided the overall framework for school
empowerment by strengthening the leadership roles of headmasters and fostering
transparency and local accountability for school administrations. The goal of basic
education was to provide the school age population and young adults with skills,
knowledge, and values to become caring, self-reliant, productive, and patriotic citizens.


In 2005
the Philippines spent about US$138 per pupil compared to US$3,728 in Japan,
US$1,582 in Singapore and US$852 in Thailand.
In January 2009
the Department of Education signed a memorandum of agreement with the United
States Agency for International Development to seal $86 million assistance to Philippine
education, particularly the access to quality education in the Autonomous Region in
Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), and the Western and Central Mindanao regions.