Research – Reaction –
Reflection (3 R’s) Paper
·
The primary aim of education is to perpetuate
the existing power structure.
The Educational
Decree of 1863 during the Spanish regime organized a system of primary
education with the aim of disseminating the Catholic faith and to teach the
Spanish language and the elementary branches of knowledge. A school for every
5, 000 persons for each sex was to be given a school. This was authorized by
the law. Children with rich parents were made to pay tuition fees fixed for
them by the governor. Although the 3 R’s (Reading, Writing and Arithmetic) were
part of the curriculum, there was a great emphasis placed on religion.
Instruction in the Christian doctrine, the principles of ethics, and sacred
history was at the heart of the curriculum. The parish priests were made to
teach the Christian morals and doctrine according to the regulations set by the
ecclesiastical authorities.
After the Treaty
of Paris where America bought the Philippines from Spain, the Act 74 was approved
by the Philippine commission in 1901.
·
The aims of education change according to the
context and needs of the time period.
Before the
Spaniards came, the Filipinos educate the young by teaching them values like
respect for elders and love of family. When the Spaniards came, they mainly
taught religion to the natives because the greatest aim of their invasion was
to spread Catholicism.
After the
Spanish regime came the Americans. They tried to teach the natives how to
govern their own lands through the Commonwealth Government. The Filipinos were
made to feel and experience what democracy is. Those times, the President was
Manuel L. Quezon who felt inspired of the freedom that he formulated the
Executive Order No. 17 which focused primarily on values like faith in God,
respect and love of country and others. The educational curriculum during this
time gave importance to imbibe patriotism, loyalty to and love of country
because of the negative experience of the nation under different regimes. As
time goes by, several changes were made in the Philippine education. In the
extracurricular activities for example, Preparatory Military Training (PMT)
evolved into Citizen’s Army Training (CAT) for the secondary level. CAT is a
training program for both Public and Private Secondary Schools in the
Philippines. It aims to enhance the student’s social responsibility and
commitment to the development of their communities and develop their ability to
uphold law and order as they assume active participation in community activities
and in assisting the members of the community especially in times of emergency.
It originated as Preparatory Military Training (PMT) as provided for in Title
III, Article I, Sec 52 of the National Defense Act. It was termed Citizen Army
Training – I in 1973 as per AFPR G 314 – 033. It was restructured and termed
Citizenship Development Training as per Dep Ed Order No. 35 s. 2003 dated May
13, 2003. Latest information about its implementation are contained in Dep Ed
Order No. 50 s. 2005 dated August 26, 2005.
In the tertiary level, the ROTC (Reserved Officers
Training Corp) patterned after the US ROTC, was a part of the curriculum. Both
male and female had to join it. Later, this was changed to CMT which is a
required course for every college curriculum but limited this time only to male
students. The course is given one day each weekend for the first two years in
the university. Students wearing the required combat shoes, fatigue uniform
complete with badges and insignia, cap, and carrying wooden rifles, undergo a
whole day of rigorous training from seven o’clock in the morning until five
o’clock in the afternoon under the intense heat of the sun. As in high school,
training is mainly on military drill and exercises. This was changed later to NSTP
or National Service
Training Program which has aimed at enhancing civic consciousness and defensepreparedness in the youth by developing the ethic of service and patriotism whileundergoing training in any of its three (3)
program components namely:
1.
Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) –
is a program institutionalized under section 38 and 39 of RA 7077 designed to provide military training to tertiary
levelstudents in order to motivate, train, organize and mobilize them for defensepreparedness.
2.
Literacy
Training Service (LTS) – is a program designed to train
students to become teachers of literacy and numeric skills to school children,
out-of school youth and other segments of society in need of their
services.
3. Civic Welfare Training Services (CWTS)– refer to the programs
or activities contributory to the general and
betterment of life for the members of the community or the enhancement of its facilities, especially those
devoted to improving health, education, environment, entrepreneurship,
safety, recreation and morals of the citizenry.
Just recently, a total upheaval of the curriculum was made through
the K to 12 curriculum. Several projects and programs were added up to the
Philippine educational system even before K to 12. EFA or education for all was
and is still the primary aim of the department. Because of this view, TESDA or
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority was launched which gives
opportunity to people who were not able to continue their schooling or are not
interested to do so but have other skills. Another is the ASL or Alternative
Learning System which caters to the skills of the youth who are not in school. It
gives short courses like baking, meat cookery, and sewing and some other
skills.
My stand to this issue is this: Educational aims both perpetuate
to existing power structure and change according to the context and needs of
the time period. One good example is the current educational system of the Philippines,
the K to 12. This was brought up and launched because of the current Secretary
of Education has knowledge and experience what a Kindergarten to Grade 12
education can do to help our graduates have jobs and survive their life.
It is not yet visible now because it is just starting. We’ll
soon see.
http://www.academia.edu/2483821/NATIONAL_SERVICE_TRAINING_PROGRAM_in_the_PHILIPPINES.8/4/2013.5:50PM)
Philippine Educational system. Pp.
99-100
Foundations of education. Volume 2.
(historical, Philosophical, Legal, Theological. Angel S. Recto.
©2005. Pp. 30 - 33
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