HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF PHILIPPINE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

Discussant: Jocelyn T. Grande

PRE-SPANISH ERA (1521)

 Education was informal, children were provided more vocational training and less academics
(3R’s – Reading, Writing, Arithmetic) by their parents and in the houses of tribal tutors.
 Subject areas: Customs and Traditions, Home and Community, Practical Education

SPANISH ERA (1565-1898)

 Education was formal and Church based. 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
 Subject areas: Christianity and Academics, Traditional Learning and Catechism. Insertion of
Religious Doctrine EDUCATIONAL DECREE OF 1863
 Free Primary School in each town, one for boys and one for girls, Education was inadequate,
suppressed and controlled.

AMERICAN REGIME (1898-1936)

Formal Education
 Subject areas: Academic and Democracy, Teaching using English Language, Primary and
Intermediate, Language, GMRC, Civics and Training for duties of citizenship
 HIGHLY CENTRALIZED PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM- 1901 (V IRTUE ACT NO. 74)
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. An adequate secularized and free public school system during the first decade of
American rule was established upon the recommendation of the Schurman Commission.
 The high school system supported by provincial governments, special educational institutions,
school of arts and trades, an agricultural school, and commerce and marine institutes were
established in 1902 by the Philippine Commission. In 1908, the Philippine Legislature
approved Act No. 1870 which created the University of the Philippines.
 REORGANIZATION ACT OF 1916 provided the Filipinization of all department
secretaries except the Secretary of Public Instruction.

COMMONWEALTH PERIOD (1935-1941)

Formal Education
 Subject areas: Developing Upright Behavior, Citizenship and Vocational Training,
Primary/Intermediate/Secondary, Language, GMRC and Civics

JAPANESE OCCUPATION (1941-1945)

Formal Education
 Subject areas: Traditional Learning, Vocational Learning; Tagalog, Philippine History and
Character Education, Love For Work and Dignity of Labor
 MILITARY ORDER NO.2 (1942)
- Philippine Executive Commission established the Commission of Education, Health and
Public Welfares
- Schools were re-opened in June 1942 with 300,000 students
 PRESENT EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM (1946-PRESENT)
 EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 94 (1947)
Department of Instruction was changed to Department of education
Bureau of public and private schools. During this period, the regulation and supervision of public
and private schools belonged to the Bureau of Public and Private Schools.
 PROCLAMATION NO. 1081 (1972) --Department of Education and Culture
 PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 1397 (1978) --Ministry of Education and Culture
 EDUCATION ACT OF 1982 --Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture
 EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 117 (1987) -- Department of Education, Culture and Sports
 Republic Act 7722 and No. 7796 (1994) --Commission on Higher Education (CHED)
responsible for higher education and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority
(TESDA) administers the post-secondary, middle-level manpower training and development.
 Republic Act 9155 (2001) --transforming the name of the Department of Education, Culture
and Sports to Department of Education. Redefine the role of field offices (Regional-
Division- District- School) RA 9155 provides the overall framework for (i) school head
empowerment by strengthening their leadership roles and (ii) school-based management
within the context of transparency and local accountability. The goal of basic education is to
provide the school age population and young adults with skills, knowledge, and values to
become caring, self-reliant, productive and patriotic citizens.
 Republic Act No. 10157 --Institutionalization of Kindergarten
 Republic Act 10533 -- Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 “K-12 Program”