Philippine Education System

Introduction to EDCOM II Year One Report

• The report is prepared by the Second Congressional Commission on Education, a national commission tasked to evaluate the performance of the Philippine education sector.
• The commission is composed of senators and representatives, including Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, Senator Francis Escudero, Representative Roman Romulo, and others.

Objective and Scope

• The report presents the accomplishments and findings of the commission in its first year, covering the evaluation of the Philippine education system.
• The report focuses on six priority areas: Early Childhood Care and Development, Basic Education, Higher Education, Teacher Education, Technical-Vocational Education and Training & Lifelong Learning, and Governance and Finance.

Structure of the Report

• The report consists of a preface, executive summary, introduction, and six chapters covering the six priority areas mentioned above.
• Each chapter presents findings, analysis, and recommendations for each priority area.

Priority Areas and Findings

Early Childhood Care and Development

• Priority 1: Nutrition and Feeding
  • Emphasis on the importance of proper nutrition for children's development
  • Strategies to improve nutrition and feeding practices in ECCD
• Priority 2: Supply-Side Factors
  • Analysis of the supply-side factors affecting ECCD, including teacher qualifications and facilities
  • Recommendations for improving supply-side factors
• Priority 4: Governance and Financing of ECCD
  • Evaluation of the governance and financing of ECCD in the Philippines
  • Recommendations for improving governance and financing

Basic Education

• Priority 5: Learning Resources
  • Analysis of the availability and quality of learning resources in Basic Education
  • Recommendations for improving learning resources
• Priority 6: Measurement of Learning Outcomes
  • Discussion of the importance of measuring learning outcomes in Basic Education
  • Recommendations for improving the measurement of learning outcomes
• Priority 7: Curriculum and Instruction
  • Analysis of the curriculum and instructional practices in Basic Education
  • Recommendations for improving the curriculum and instructional practices

Higher Education

• Priority 11a: Access to Quality Education
  • Analysis of the current state of access to quality education in Higher Education
  • Recommendations for improving access to quality education
• Priority 11b: Quality Assurance
  • Evaluation of the quality assurance mechanisms in Higher Education
  • Recommendations for improving quality assurance

Teacher Education

• Priority 16: Alignment of CHED, PRC, and DepEd on Teacher Education and Development
  • Analysis of the current state of teacher education and development in the Philippines
  • Recommendations for improving teacher education and development
• Priority 18: In-Service Training and Development, including Teacher Welfare
  • Analysis of the current state of in-service training and development for teachers
  • Recommendations for improving in-service training and development, including teacher welfare

Technical-Vocational Education and Training & Lifelong Learning

• Priority 20: Industry Involvement and Investment in Upskilling Programs
  • Analysis of the current state of industry involvement and investment in TVET
  • Recommendations for improving industry involvement and investment
• Priority 21: Ensuring Quality in Providing TVET for Better Jobs
  • Evaluation of the quality of TVET programs in the Philippines
  • Recommendations for improving the quality of TVET programs

Governance and Finance

• Priority 23: Seamless and Integrated Delivery of Education
  • Analysis of the current state of governance and financing in education
  • Recommendations for improving governance and financing
• Priority 25: Integrated System of Performance Management and Accountability
  • Evaluation of the current system of performance management and accountability in education
  • Recommendations for improving the system of performance management and accountability
• Priority 26: Efficiency and Equity in Financing, Resource Mobilization, and Delivery of Education
  • Analysis of the financing, resource mobilization, and delivery of education in the Philippines
  • Recommendations for improving financing, resource mobilization, and delivery of education
• Priority 27: Decentralization and Participatory Governance
  • Evaluation of the current state of decentralization and participatory governance in education
  • Recommendations for improving decentralization and participatory governance### Abbreviations and Acronyms
• ACTRC: Assessment, Curriculum, and Technology Research Centre
• AI: Artificial Intelligence
• ALCU: Association of Local Colleges and Universities
• ALS: Alternative Learning System
• ANA: Amplified Numeracy Assessment
• ASEAN: Association of Southeast Asian Nations
• AQRF: ASEAN Qualifications Reference Framework
• AY: Academic Year
• BARMM: Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao

Education Institutions

• BE: Business Education
• BECEd: Bachelor of Early Childhood Education
• BEEd: Bachelor of Elementary Education
• BSEd: Bachelor of Secondary Education
• CHED: Commission on Higher Education
• COCOPEA: Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations
• COD: Center of Development
• COE: Center of Excellence
• DICT: Department of Information and Communications Technology
• DOH: Department of Health
• DepEd: Department of Education

Education Programs and Initiatives

• ECCD: Early Childhood Care and Development
• EGRA: Early Grades Reading Assessment
• EGMA: Early Grades Mathematics Assessment
• ELLNA: Early Language, Literacy, and Numeracy Assessment
• MTB-MLE: Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education
• NEAP: National Educators' Academy of the Philippines
• NHTS-PR: National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction
• NLRP: National Learning Recovery Program
• NMP: National Mathematics Program
• NRP: National Reading Program
• NTESDP: National Technical Education and Skills Development Plan
• PISA: Programme for International Student Assessment
• SEA-PLM: Southeast Asian Primary Learning Metrics
• SUCs: State Universities and Colleges
• TIMSS: Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study
• TVET: Technical and Vocational Education and Training### Preface
• The Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM) was established in 2022 through Republic Act (RA) No. 11899.
• The commission was convened to address the education crisis in the Philippines, which was highlighted by the country's poor performance in the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).

Education Crisis

• The education crisis in the Philippines is a complex and long-standing issue that has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The crisis is characterized by poor performance in international assessments, low education outcomes, and inadequate education infrastructure.

Early Childhood Care and Development

• The Philippines has one of the highest prevalence of under-5 stunting in the world, at 26.7%.
• Nutrition-specific interventions in the Philippines are fragmented, have low coverage, and weak targeting.
• Early childhood education is not equally accessible throughout the country, with only 36% of barangays having at least one child development center.
• Most day care teachers and workers lack training in early childhood education and are aging.
• The Commission on Higher Education's (CHED) undergraduate program in Early Childhood Education prepares graduates for 0-4 years old and Key Stage 1 learners, but only 3,993 ECE graduates have been produced since 2005.

Basic Education

• Despite improvements in enrollment rates, concerns persist about the quality of the education system.
• The Human Capital Index estimates that a Filipino learner who starts school at 4 years old would have received 12.9 years of schooling by age 18, but this is equivalent to only 7.5 years of learning.
• The National Achievement Test (NAT) for Grade 6 shows that students are nearly proficient in Filipino, but achieved low proficiency in Math, English, Araling Panlipunan, and Science.

Governance and Finance

• The education system in the Philippines struggles to meet the criteria of a "system" due to fragmented implementation of education programs and lack of coordination among agencies.
• The Commission on Education (EDCOM) was established to address the education crisis, but it faces challenges in terms of coordination, resources, and accountability.
• The education sector is plagued by inadequate funding, with a high proportion of the education budget allocated to personnel salaries and benefits.

Higher Education

• The Philippines has a low gross enrollment rate in tertiary education, with only 36.5% of the population aged 18-24 enrolled in higher education.
• The quality of higher education in the Philippines is a concern, with many higher education institutions lacking the necessary resources and infrastructure.

Technical-Vocational Education and Training (TVET)

• The Philippines has a large number of out-of-school youth, with many opting for TVET programs instead of formal education.
• The TVET sector is plagued by inadequate funding, lack of resources, and poor quality of training programs.