The education system in Philippines has gone through a lot of struggles. Its development was a slow process that was a product of colonialism and imperialism. The colonists succeeded in ensuring that the natives remained illiterate. They used religion as a tool for making people stay submissive, and they could not question anything. Due to colonialism the Filipinos did not have a chance of improving their society. Great awakening came after the second wave of colonization and the Philippines started taking education seriously, and they even started sending children abroad so that they can study. During the colonization period, education was a privilege and not a right. A reprieve came when America began their influence in Philippines. The Americans established schools, and they believed that education was the only means of pacifying the Philippines. Over the years, the education system in Philippines has developed a lot, and education is taken seriously. However, this has not occurred without challenges. In this paper, I will lay an explicit focus on the critical issues that have affected the education system in Philippines from 1990.
One of the serious issues that have continuously affected the education system is the high rate of drop out. The Philippines education system has consistently reported a very large number of dropouts in all levels of education. Shocking statistics reveals that in every 10 Philippines who are admitted in legendary school, only 7 are able to complete the curriculum. The trend becomes worrying when it comes to secondary education. When the seven pupils who complete the elementary curriculum, enrol in secondary school, it is only 3 who are able to complete the curriculum. In relation to the above data, the education system in Philippines is at a big threat due to high school dropout. The education system cannot achieve what it is set to achieve. The students do not have the right skills that can help in building the nation. The formal education has not achieved its purpose. The schools are working hard towards ensuring that the students remain in school. The high dropout rates have led to increased rates of illiteracy among the Philippines. The high levels of literacy act as a reflection of the sad state. The contributing factors to this issue are the issues of child labour where children work to supplement family income. The issue of school dropout needs to be resolved as a way of promoting education.