Reforms sought in Philippine education system

MANILA, Philippines — With the country’s dismal performance in an international assessment of the performance of 15-year-old students of 79 countries, a business organization pushing for greater education is calling on all sectors to look at areas where improvements can be made in the country’s education system.

“As the largest international comparative assessment of education in the world, our low ranking of 79th out of 79 high and middle income countries that participated in the 2018 PISA (Program for International Assessment) is an opportunity for all sectors to come together to take a hard look at the quality of Philippine education and to develop a collective action plan to improve the standards for teaching and learning,” Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) said. 

PISA results released recently showed the Philippines ranking lowest in reading comprehension and second lowest in science and mathematics out of 79 countries that participated in an international assessment of the performance of 15-year-old students.

Filipino students scored an average of 340 in reading, 353 in mathematics and 357 in science – all below the minimum proficiency level of at least 407, 420 and 410, respectively.

PISA, a study conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, measures 15-year-old students’ ability to use their reading, mathematics and science knowledge and skills to meet real-life challenges. 

Filipino students lagged behind their counterparts in other countries, including those from neighboring Southeast Asian states such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.

In response to this, the PBEd said it was pushing for the development of an action plan for improved standards in teaching.

While PBEd sees good in the government’s decision to give the Department of Education (DepEd) the highest allocation three years in a row, as well as DepEd’s initiative to introduce reforms to improve the quality of basic education through Sulong Edukalidad, the group said there is a need for private sector, civil society and academe to also step in and play a role. 

In particular, it said the private sector, civil society and academe should work with the government to identify strategies to address the key challenges. 

“We can learn from countries like Peru that have used the PISA results to rally everyone around a shared goal to improve its educational system,” PBEd said. 

As the PISA results may be used to point fingers for the poor standing of the country, PBEd said the results are a collective responsibility.

“We believe that the PISA results are the responsibility of all and not the accountability of one administration. It is only with everyone pitching in towards one vision of high quality education for all can we move learning from this base to greater heights,” the group said. 

It added the Philippines’ continued participation in international assessments is a good exercise, as such allows the country to see how it can help prepare and equip children with the necessary skills to succeed in an increasingly competitive world. 

Founded in 2006 by the country’s top chief executive officers, PBEd serves as the businesses’ answer to the need to push for greater education.