History of Preschool Education in Philippines

SPANISH REGIME Started formally in grade

one with Christian Doctrine Predominantly
religious utilized certain textbooks as cartilla
and pagina de la Infancia ( contains alphabet
and prayers) Young Filipinos mostly coming
from the bourgeois illustrado class
Pre-schooling was unorganized The more
educated adults in the community became
lawful preschool teachers Usually handled
on one to one basis and lasting for no less
than 30 minutes per session (Estolaz &
Nunez,1974)
The regular schooling in the cartilla lasted for
3 to 6 months depending upon the childs
capacity to learn This particular schooling
facilitated the entry of the child into grade
one although it was not necessarily a
requirement
In 1924, the opening of kindergarten
education at Harris Memorial School Manila
( Harris Memorial College) pioneered
preschool education Under directorship of
Miss Mary A. Evans INITIAL ATTEMPTS
A class was established by Mrs. Brigida
Fernando after her training at Columbia
University Teachers College
Interest in kindergarten movement was
picked up by other private schools and grew
succeedingly well among the religious
schools both Catholic and Protestant Similar
interest motivated civic groups to help
children
In 1935 The NATIONAL FEDERATION OF
WOMENS CLUB( NFWC) became the
forerunner of nursery education The process
of getting government recognition didnt
come after 16 years.
. In 1940, The Bureau of Private Schools had
authorized 129 kindergarten classes getting
an enrolment of 6,449. The World War II
disrupted the growth of the program to the
point of closing almost all schools.
The year immediately ensuing liberation had
demonstrated a renewed interest in
preschool education Out 129 government

recognized kindergarten schools in 1940, a

total of 61 schools with 3,172 enrolment
started in operation in 1945-1946 POSTWAR
INTERESTS
Private individuals had shortly joined this
bold start The NFWC continued to have its
nursery classes one in Sampaloc and in
Tondo Manila
In 1948, HARRIS MEMORIAL SCHOOL
initiated another big step by obtaining a
government recognition to confer the degree
of JUNIOR TEACHERS CERTIFICATE to
Graduate in kindergarten education
This was the first recognized course in
kindergarten education offered in the
Philippines Other colleges and universities
attempt to emphasize kindergarten teaching
by giving special training on the area, either
part and parcel of B.S in Education or in
Home Economics
Preschool education in the country has
almost remained to be associated with
Bureau of Private Schools, specially with the
religious groups.
1950s through the effort of Dr. Miguela M.
Solis, then the Superintendent of Teacher
education in Bureau of Public Schools,
preschool education started in the
government regional training schools
Pangasinan Normal School was the first to
take advantage BREAKTHROUGH IN
GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS
Followed by Zamboanga Normal School In
1964, a year after establishment of National
Coordinating Center for the Study and
Development of Filipino Children and Youth
( NCCSDFCY) which Dr. Solis was the director,
the Childrens Village was opened to admit
kindergarten children, marking another
milestone in the public sector.
The growth of Philippine preschool education
had been so slow when this is compared to
those of the other countries Though slow, the
regular yearly increment in kindergarten
enrolment in both private and public schools
had increased EARLY CHILDHOOD
EDUCATION: A JOINT CONCERN
The major portion of preschool children were

consistently in the private schools with its

yearly increase remaining constant Until that
there are too many children for every
teacher. Sending pre-school aged children to
private kindergarten is expensive The need
for nursery schools that could cater to the
lower income families was then felt
A number of national offices and civic
organizations have responded to the need to
extend appropriate education The NFWC who
has started only with two schools has
expanded to 251 classes mostly located in
the less chance areas like Tondo, Sampaloc,
Paco and others
In 1956, the Manila Health Department
introduced the concept of modern preschool
play centers in Manila It was Dr, Demetrio
Belmonte the assistant city health officer
who had a trip from different countries like
Europe and USA and observed the operation
of modern and scientific preschool
With the assistance of Dr. Evangeline G.
Suva, returning grantee on programming
preschool play centers and Mrs.Isabel
Santos, a social worker of the Ladies
Association worked hand in hand to put up
the first modern fully equipped play centers
at the KAPITAN ISIDRO MENDOZA HEALTH
CENTER
Meanwhile various civic organization have
similarly taken bold steps in support of the
program. Some of them are Young Ladies
Association of Charity, The Rural
Improvement Clubs, The Philippine Womens
Medical Association In mid 1960s the
Department of Social Welfare had started the
inclusion of nursery and kindergarten
education in its program.
1970s to 1980s The governments
intensified interest in the welfare of the
Filipino child resulted in the signing of P.D
603 PD 603- known as CHILD AND YOUTH
WELFARE CODE in 1974 1979UNESCO( United nations Educational
Scientific Cultural Organization) declared as
the INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF THE CHILD

1977 to 1987 The Philippines declared

DECADE OF THE FILIPINO CHILD This marked
the increased of number of preschool
children and also the establishments both in
private and public schools
1978 to 1989- DECS encouraged the
operation of preschools in public elementary
schools with MEC Order No. 24 s 1978 and
DECS Order No. 107, s.1989 ( Soliven
et.al,1997) 1993 to 1994- There were 1,892
DECS- recognizes and registered private
schools in the country with 416,894 enrolled
preschoolers
1995 to 2000- Three reform programs were
initiated in response to the need of rising
numbers of preschoolers: EDUCATION FOR
ALL CONGRESSIONAL COMMISSION ON
EDUCATION Implementation of LOCAL
GOVERNMENT CODE

1. THE HISTORY OF THE PHILIPPINES

EDUCATION

2. CAN ANYONE GIVE ME A LITTLE

KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE HISTORY
OF PHILIPPINES EDUCATION ?
QUESTION

3. PRE-HISPANIC The education of PreHispanic Filipinos was fit for the needs of
their times. There was no formal schooling.
Parents trained their children informally .
Mothers educated their female children in
housekeeping, weaving, basket-making and
other agriculture-related activities. Fathers
trained their male children in hunting,
carpentry, agriculture, shipbuilding and
mining. Skills taught would vary on their
industries and locations, i.e., whether
highland, lowlands or along seashores.
Education was oral, practical and hands-on

4. ALIBATA Alibata is an ancient writing

system that was used in what is now the
Philippines. Although it was all but
extinguished by Western
colonization,variants of it are still used in
parts of Mindoro and Palawan, and it is also
increasingly used by Filipino youth as a way
to express their identity.

5. While controlled by colonial rule for

several years, once the Philippines gained
their independence they took over control of

the educational system and began to move it

in their own direction. Children in the
Philippines are educated in the primary and
secondary school systems for about thirteen
to fourteen years, depending on when they
start, after which they complete the College
Entrance Examinations, that allow them to
qualify for one of the many institutions of
higher learning. There are both private and
public schools in the Philippines, and on the
whole the education provided by the private
schools is much more comprehensive than
that provided by the public school system.
In fact, the Philippines was home to the first
modern public schooling system in Asia. It
is also home to the oldest universities,
colleges, and vocational schools.
Education has been a priority in the
Philippines for decades, and this is
evidenced in the fact that many of the
advancements in education in Asia have
been pioneered in the Philippines.

6. During the Pre-Spanish period, education

was still decentralized. Children were
provided more vocational training but lesser
academics, which were headed by their
parents or by their tribal tutors. They used a
unique system of writing known as the
baybayin. Pre-Spanish Period BAYBAYIN
The term Baybay literally means "to spell
in Tagalog. It also known as the alibata,
were in it is the ancient writing system that
was used before by the Filipinos.

7. The pre-Spanish system of education

underwent major changes during the
Spanish colonization The tribal tutors were
replaced by the Spanish Missionaries
TRIBAL TUTORSTRIBAL TUTORS
Education was informal and unstructured .
Children were provided with vocational
training and less academics by parents and
houses of tribal tutors SPANISH
MISSIONARIESSPANISH
MISSIONARIES education was religioncentered education for the elite only
Spanish is compulsory Boys and girls
school are separated Inadequate,
suppressed and controlled

8. SPANISH When the Spanish first arrived

in the Philippines, education of the
indigenous people was mainly viewed as the
duty of religious organizations. Parish friars
put forth great effort to teach the indigenous
people to read believing that literacy was the
key to better lifestyles. EDUCATION
DURING THE SPANISH REGIME

9. EDUCATION DURING THE SPANISH

REGIME The Friars establish parochial
schools linked with Churches to teach
catechism to the natives. Education was
manage, supervised, and controlled By the
friars. Spanish education played a major role
in that transformation. The oldest
universities, colleges, vocational schools and
the first modern public education system in
Asia were created during the colonial period
The focus of education during the Spanish
Colonization of the Philippines was mainly
religious education. The Catholic doctrine
schools that were set up initially became
parochial schools which taught reading and
writing along with catechism

10. The Spanish missionaries established

schools immediately after reaching the
islands. The Augustinians opened a school
in Cebu in 1565. The Franciscans, in 1577,
immediately took to the task of teaching
improving literacy, aside from the teaching
of new industrial and agricultural
techniques. Jesuits followed in 1581 The
Dominicans in 1587, which they started a
school in their first mission at Bataan.

11. In 1863, an educational decree mandated

the establishment of free primary schools in
each town, one for boys and one for girls,
with the precise number of schools
depending on the size of the population.
There were 3 grades: entrada, acenso, and
termino. The curriculum required the study
of Christian doctrine, values and history as
well as reading and writing in Spanish,
mathematics, agriculture, etiquette, singing,
world geography, and Spanish history. Girls
were also taught sewing. The decree also
provided for a normal school run by the
Jesuits to educate male teachers in Manila.
Normal schools for women teachers were

not established until 1875, in Nueva

Caceres. Despite the Decree of 1863, basic
education in the Philippines remained
inadequate for the rest of the Spanish period.
Often, there were not enough schools built.
Teachers tended to use corporal punishment.

12. After the Spanish colonial government

was overthrown, the schools established
during the Spanish era were closed down for
a time by Emilio Aguinaldos government.
The Malolos Constitution made elementary
education compulsory and provided for free
schooling. The Universidad Literaria de
Filipinas, which provided courses in law,
medicine, surgery, pharmacy, and
notarianship, was established by Aguinaldo
on 19 October 1898. He also set up the
Military Academy of Malolos and decreed
that all diplomas awarded by UST after
1898 be considered null and void. The
curricula of schools were not much different
from those under Spanish domination. While
Tagalogwas established as the national
language by the Constitution of Biak-naBato, reading, writing and literary studies in
Spanish were still given emphasis.

13. QUESTION WHY IS IT IMPORTANT

FOR US TO GO BACK AND RECALL
AND THE PAST EDUCATION OF THE
PHILIPPINES ? It give us not only a
glimpse of the past but also what we could
learn from it. History of Education will help
you to understand how the past events
shaped the present education systems,
theories and related phenomenon in the area
of teacher education in particular and
education in general. Secondly, it will enable
you to appreciate the importance of
education to mankind since time
immemorial across the generations.

14. WHAT COULD BE THE BENEFITS

THAT US FUTURE TEACHER THAT
MAY HAVE AFTER STUDYING THE
HISTORY OF THE PHILIPPINES ?
QUESTION

15. 1. The study of history of education

helps teachers in training to appreciate the
various aspects of their past educational

process so as to link them to the present; 2.

It enables teachers in training to know what
type of education we had and the purpose it
served in the past; 3. It gives teachers in
training the opportunity of knowing our past
mistakes in our education with the view to
making necessary amends; 4. History of
education gives teachers in training the
opportunity of studying other peoples
educational ideas and programmes with the
aim of developing ours; 5. It also gives
teachers in training a solid foundation to
plan for our present and future educational
development; 6. History of education guides
teachers in training to proffer some positive
solution to our present day educational

problems 7. It helps teachers in training to

understand some major trends and
developments in our educational system; 8.
It helps teachers in training to formulate and
implement better philosophies of education;
9. History of education is a good academic
exercise to improve teachers in training
knowledge; 10.It widens the scope and
knowledge of the teacher and makes him
more comfortable and competent in his class

16. PREPARED BY: LOREIN MAY F.

PABILONA BTTE-ADT IV-D