The landscape of the education sector has changed since the adoption of the recommendations of the first Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM) in 1990. But problems persisted, and the state of Philippine education remained problematic even prior to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Are we producing quality graduates?
In 2018, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) conducted the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) to some 600,000 15-year-old students in secondary schools from 79 countries representing some 32 million people of the same age. Fifteen-year-old students in the Philippines scored lower in reading, mathematics and science than those in most of the countries and economies that participated.
It is noteworthy that the expenditure per student in the Philippines was the lowest among all PISA-participating countries/economies – and 90% lower than the OECD average.
Are the graduates employable?
Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority say that of the 5.3% unemployment rate in October 2018, 24 percent of these were college graduates, 16 percent were college undergraduates, and 27.5 percent have completed junior high school. There is a slow school-to-work transition. High School graduates take 3 years to find their first job and 4 years to have permanent wage job. For college graduates, it takes a year to find a job and 2 years to have a permanent job.
Bernarte pointed out that the full potential of the academia-industry partnership is far from being utilized due to basic attitudinal differences and driven interests of the stakeholders making partnership problematic. Espinoza pointed at jobs-skills mismatch as one of the top three concerns of employers. A study by the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) reported that the graduates are not job ready and that companies cope by conducting their own training.
Furthermore, there is a limited labor market information that will estimate the current and future supply and demand.
The disruptors of the times
The Fourth Industrial Revolution has threatened the readiness of Philippine graduates in the language of rapid technological developments and fast-paced industry advancements. The key employment generators, namely construction, manufacturing, tourism and information technology are at high risk of being automated. Drastic changes are predicted to impact the overall business landscape. The International Labor Organization (ILO) predicted that 49 percent of Philippine industries are at high risk of automation over the next 20 years, with Business Process Outsourcing in the frontline.
The business sector to the rescue
The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed challenges, gaps, and deficiencies that call for a need to review, assess, and evaluate the country’s education system at all levels.
The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), the country’s biggest business organization, is convening the Education Task Force (ETF) to come up with a Policy Paper similar to the one produced by the first EDCOM.
PCCI’s ETF will be composed of 12 recognized experts in their respective fields. The PCCI will be represented by its Human Resources Development Cluster headed by its Chairman Dr. Alberto Fenix, Jr. and Co-chairpersons Mr. Emerson Atanacio, Dr. Carl E. Balita, and Dr. Eduardo G. Ong.
The Basic Education, TVET, Higher Education, and Teacher’s Training institutions are duly represented in the PCCI ETF with Dr. Rene Colocar, President of the Association of Local Colleges and Universities (ALCU), Atty. Joseph Noel M. Estrada, Executive Director of the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA), Fr. Onofre G. Inocencio Jr. SDB, President of Don Bosco System, Mrs. Irene Isaac, Former Director-General of TESDA, Dr. Ricardo Pama, Secretary-General of the Association of Universities of Asia and the Pacific (AUAP), Dr. Nilo Rosas, President of New Era University, Atty. Ulpiano Sarmiento, Dean of San Beda Alabang – College of Law, and Dr. Bert J. Tuga, President of Philippine Normal University (PNU).
PCCI Education Development Model
The Philippine Education Development Model by the PCCI Education Task Force is based on the Quality Improvement framework, namely, structure, process and outcome. It is composed of the 4 Major Elements, namely:
- Philippine Qualification and Learning Outcomes.
- Curriculum and Instructions.
- Competencies of Teachers and Educational Leaders.
- Institutional and Policy Reforms.
These elements shall be the basis of discussions towards the formulation of policy recommendations for the development of education in the Philippines. The state of current education shall be presented within the model with the intention to propose doable recommendations and concrete solutions. Each member of the PCCI Education Task Force shall present evidences, researches, data, documents, insights and experts’ opinions along with stakeholders in the entire educational eco-system with the clear intention of providing solutions and recommendations leading to the development of the Philippine Education.
Philippine Qualification and Learning Outcomes refer to the end-in-mind of education to prepare the learners for the industrial and societal requirements of the present and the future. They cover the qualification standards based on the demands of the world of work and society in general. They cover the competencies as outcomes of education leading to appropriate assessment and evaluation processes, which measure the competencies based on acceptable standards. The demonstrated competencies shall then be quality-assured for corresponding certifications.
Curriculum and Instructions refer to the curricular content and alignment across the educational levels in the educational system from basic education to post-graduate school program. The realities of the blended and flexible learning shall cover the digital and technological education. The alignment with industries may be strengthened by Dualized Education and Training within the curricular program. The educational ecosystem shall be explored as learning resource across and within the curricula.
Competencies of Teachers and Educational Leaders refer to the preparedness of the teachers and school leaders, like principals and supervisors, in delivering the quality improving system of education. The quality of teacher education and training will be reviewed as a lifelong-learning requirement of these frontliners in learning. The Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers will be explored along with the Philippine Professional Standard for School Heads. The Technological, Pedagogical and Content Knowledge Competencies of the teachers will be evaluated towards the development of training and other intervention programs based on their perceived needs.
Institutional and Policy Reforms shall integrate all the inputs of the other areas of development and shall be the basis of recommendation and solutions. The Task Force and the educational stakeholders shall look into the effectiveness of the tri-focalized system of education. Educational policies shall be reviewed for their appropriateness and alignment and capitalize on available policies for effective execution. Strengthening of the educational collaborations between private and public sectors in the educational ecosystem will be explored.
The Philippine Education Development Model shall be an integrated approach to quality improvement in education.
Dr. Fenix expressed the importance of having a multi-stakeholder perspective in developing policy recommendations. “PCCI understands that the current situation has been very challenging to the country’s educational system, learning institutions, teachers, learners and even their families. Therefore, we in the PCCI have sought the formulation of the ETF in order to help the country move forward by identifying gaps in the system that was made prevalent by the pandemic,” Dr. Fenix said.
PCCI President Ambassador Benedicto V. Yujuico will launch the ETF on Wednesday, April 28, 2021.