Trends Issues and Policies in Philippine Education 1 
Trends, Issues and Policies in
Philippine Education System
The Philippine Education System at a Glance
The Philippine education system can be described as a dynamic one. It has undergone several stages of development from the pre-Spanish era to the present.
Dating back at the pre-Magellanic period, the
Philippine education was informal, unstructured and without method. Learning was more experimental than theoretical.
During the Spanish era, education was done by missionaries for the elite and for religious instruction. The enactment of Education Decree of
1863 marked the beginning of primary education for boys and girls in each municipality and a normal school for male teachers. Primary instruction was free and Spanish instruction was compulsory. Education was inadequate, suppressed and controlled during that period.
When the Americans came, they established a free public school system. Instruction was done in English to train people for the duties of citizenship and democracy, by non-commissioned officers and chaplains.
The Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports was created via Education Act 0f 1982, which later became the Department of Education, Culture and Sports by virtue of Executive Order 117 in 1987. The structure of
DECS remained unchanged until 1994 when the CHED, and in 1995, when TESDA were established, to supervise tertiary degree programs and non-degree technical-vocational programs, via RA’s 7722 and
7796, respectively.
The Educational Ladder
The Philippine Education delivered its programs through the formal and non-formal and informal ways.
The new entry age for elementary education, starting SY
1995-96 was 6 years old; the secondary education, 1215 years old; and tertiary education, 16-19 years old.
The formal education ladder has 6-4-4 structure, or 6 years for elementary education; 4 years, secondary; and
4 years for tertiary education, except for some courses like engineering, law, medical sciences with 5 or more years of
Philippine Education System
The Philippine Education System at a Glance
The Philippine education system can be described as a dynamic one. It has undergone several stages of development from the pre-Spanish era to the present.
Dating back at the pre-Magellanic period, the
Philippine education was informal, unstructured and without method. Learning was more experimental than theoretical.
During the Spanish era, education was done by missionaries for the elite and for religious instruction. The enactment of Education Decree of
1863 marked the beginning of primary education for boys and girls in each municipality and a normal school for male teachers. Primary instruction was free and Spanish instruction was compulsory. Education was inadequate, suppressed and controlled during that period.
When the Americans came, they established a free public school system. Instruction was done in English to train people for the duties of citizenship and democracy, by non-commissioned officers and chaplains.
The Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports was created via Education Act 0f 1982, which later became the Department of Education, Culture and Sports by virtue of Executive Order 117 in 1987. The structure of
DECS remained unchanged until 1994 when the CHED, and in 1995, when TESDA were established, to supervise tertiary degree programs and non-degree technical-vocational programs, via RA’s 7722 and
7796, respectively.
The Educational Ladder
The Philippine Education delivered its programs through the formal and non-formal and informal ways.
The new entry age for elementary education, starting SY
1995-96 was 6 years old; the secondary education, 1215 years old; and tertiary education, 16-19 years old.
The formal education ladder has 6-4-4 structure, or 6 years for elementary education; 4 years, secondary; and
4 years for tertiary education, except for some courses like engineering, law, medical sciences with 5 or more years of