IN January President Duterte signed Republic Act 10968, establishing the Philippine Qualifications Framework, a nationwide system of educational standards outlining specific levels of qualifications (or educational attainment) to match particular skills, competencies and knowledge (“learning outcomes”) that graduates should possess.
Philippine universities will need to navigate through and adhere to this framework. For, at present, new skill sets are required to match jobs and industry needs.
Universities must adapt to disruptions in the global economy, and, therefore, cannot afford to have stagnant, nondynamic programs. Unfortunately, most universities in the Philippines review curriculum very infrequently and lack empirical basis, whether in terms of employment or needs of industry. This has created an inefficient system producing more professionals than are needed in critical sectors of the economy. Such lack of strategic plan exacerbates persistent unemployment and underemployment.
In successful higher education systems, curriculum is reviewed annually, through a participative process that involves local industries, thereby making their academic offerings fill the gaps in competencies of graduates, and ensuring higher chances of employment.
Many colleges and universities overemphasize rote learning over problem-solving and critical thinking. Graduates may be well versed in what their books say, but soon become frustrated discovering that theoretical knowledge is likely to be incompatible with its proper application.
As most information is available online, students should be given more opportunity for
actual practice, or “learning by doing.” Case studies, experiments, project-based learning and work immersions are effective learning tools.
Similar to medical internship, it is especially useful for other professions like teaching, engineering and architecture.
While gaps in the education sector remain to be addressed, corporations have already created low-cost private schools to compensate for “governance gaps” at the primary education level. Education International in 2016 emphasized how these ventures create cost-effective modes of schooling but remain circumspect, as these organizations are mainly for-profit and centered on business growth and detrimental to the quality of learning.
With the integration of 10 countries into the Asean Economic Community, coupled with Filipinos’s long history of working overseas, we should start developing curriculum that will produce graduates with portable skill sets and professional knowledge comparable with
international standards.
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