Quality and Excellence in Education
Accreditation in the Philippines: A Case Study
Victor and Gina Ordonez
Introduction
As countries progress along the development trajectory, the availability of a competent human resource base becomes a determining factor of progress. Countries progressing from an agricultural economy to a manufacturing economy to a technological and knowledge economy recognize that an adequate supply of higher education graduates is a necessary pre-condition for achieving and sustaining advanced levels of development in this globalized, competitive, fast-changing world, as the tiger economies of Asia have proven.
Until about thirty years ago the Philippines boasted a well-established higher education system that provided relatively democratized access for over a century, enrolling proportionately more students than all but five countries in the world. From the 1980’s to the present, however, as many other countries witnessed phenomenal higher education growth rates, enrollment rates in the Philippines did not. More alarmingly, contrary to prevailing economic wisdom where higher ratios of higher education graduates within a population is meant to correlated with improved economic development, this seemed not the case in the Philippines where many graduates seem ill-prepared to handle the complex workforce demands of the modern workplace.
One symptom is the performance deficit of graduates in various national licensure exams certifying entry to various professions. In exams of the Integrated Bar given by the Supreme Court, for example, only 27% of candidates pass the examination. For teaching candidates the pass rate for the national Licensure Examinations for Teachers (LET) examination, is just 31% and for accounting graduates taking the Certified Public Accountants exam only 24%.[1]
Another symptom: Employers and the business community in general have warned that an inadequate supply of well-trained and prepared graduates is limiting the
Victor and Gina Ordonez
Introduction
As countries progress along the development trajectory, the availability of a competent human resource base becomes a determining factor of progress. Countries progressing from an agricultural economy to a manufacturing economy to a technological and knowledge economy recognize that an adequate supply of higher education graduates is a necessary pre-condition for achieving and sustaining advanced levels of development in this globalized, competitive, fast-changing world, as the tiger economies of Asia have proven.
Until about thirty years ago the Philippines boasted a well-established higher education system that provided relatively democratized access for over a century, enrolling proportionately more students than all but five countries in the world. From the 1980’s to the present, however, as many other countries witnessed phenomenal higher education growth rates, enrollment rates in the Philippines did not. More alarmingly, contrary to prevailing economic wisdom where higher ratios of higher education graduates within a population is meant to correlated with improved economic development, this seemed not the case in the Philippines where many graduates seem ill-prepared to handle the complex workforce demands of the modern workplace.
One symptom is the performance deficit of graduates in various national licensure exams certifying entry to various professions. In exams of the Integrated Bar given by the Supreme Court, for example, only 27% of candidates pass the examination. For teaching candidates the pass rate for the national Licensure Examinations for Teachers (LET) examination, is just 31% and for accounting graduates taking the Certified Public Accountants exam only 24%.[1]
Another symptom: Employers and the business community in general have warned that an inadequate supply of well-trained and prepared graduates is limiting the
References: Arcelo, Adriano. In Pursuit of Continuing Quality in Higher Education through Accreditation: The Philippine Experience. International Institute for Educational Planning, 2003. Colegio de San Juan de Letran, Intramuros, Manila, 2008. www.letran.edu/paascu.php Cooney, R.P O’Donnell, James, S.J. “The Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU), 1957-1992.” Brochure of PAASCU, 1992 and 2007. “PAASCU @ 50: Raising the Standards of Excellence in Philippine Education,” Golden Jubilee Programme, 1957-2007, 2007. PAASCU Primer, 2006. ----------------------- [1] From reports of the Commission on Higher Education (CHEDbusines), 2007. [2] Cf. Ramon del Rosario, Jr, President , Management Association of the Philippines, in paper on “Philippine Business and Education.” May, 2007 [3] Cf [6] Francisco Dalupan, “The Accreditation System in Higher Education,” Introductory Remarks during the Inauguration of the University of the East and of Himself as President,” University of the East, Manila, 1951 [7]Philippine Constitution of 1973, Art [14] Per CHED Order No. 31 s. 1995 “Policies on Voluntary Accreditation in Aid of Quality and Excellence in Higher Education”