Title History of the Philippines Basic Education System (GR 216930).pdf ✅

Excerpts from G.R. No. 216930 History of the Philippines' Basic Education System On January 21, 1901, the Philippine Commission created the Department of Public Instruction4 through Act No. 745 . All schools established under the auspices of the Military Government were made under the control of the officers of the Department of Public Instruction6 and as early as this law, the primary education established through it was considered free.7 Act No. 74 also made English language as the basis of all public school instruction8 and allowed optional religious instruction in all schools.9 On March 10, 1917, Act No. 270610 was passed mandating the recognition and inspection of private schools and colleges by the Secretary of Public Instruction in order to maintain a general standard of efficiency in all private schools and colleges.11 The authority of the Secretary over private schools and colleges was later on expanded under Commonwealth Act (CA) No. 18012. The Secretary was vested with the power "to supervise, inspect and regulate said schools and colleges in order to determine the efficiency of instruction given in the same."13 The concept of free public primary instruction was also enshrined in the 1935 Philippine Constitution. Specifically, the State's interest in a complete and adequate system of public education was stated in Section 5, Article XIV: SEC. 5. All educational institutions shall be under the supervision of and subject to regulation by the State. The Government shall establish and maintain a complete and adequate system of public education, and shall provide at least free public primary instruction, and citizenship training to adult citizens. All schools shall aim to develop moral character, personal discipline, civic conscience, and vocational efficiency, and to teach the duties of citizenship. Optional religious instruction shall be maintained in the public schools as now authorized by law. Universities established by the State shall enjoy academic freedom. The State shall create scholarships in arts, science, and letters for specially gifted citizens. (Emphasis supplied) On August 7, 1940, CA No. 586,14 otherwise known as the Educational Act of 1940, was enacted to comply with the constitutional mandate on free public primary education. This resulted in the revision of the public elementary system,15 which had the following objectives: x x x (a) to simplify, shorten, and render more practical and economical both the primary and intermediate courses of instruction so as to place the same within the reach of the largest possible number of school children; (b) to afford every child of school age adequate facilities to commence and complete at least the primary course of instruction; (c) to give every child completing the primary course an adequate working knowledge of reading and writing, the fundamentals of arithmetic, geography, Philippine history and government, and character and civic training; and (d) to insure that all children attending the elementary schools shall remain literate and become useful, upright and patriotic citizens.16 To give effect to the foregoing objectives, the Department of Public Instructions was authorized to revise the elementary school curriculum, to be approved by the President, and adjust the academic school calendar to coincide with the working season in the Philippines.17 In addition, Section 4 set standards for the age of admission to public elementary schools and the minimum length of time for the completion of primary and intermediate courses, to wit:
Excerpts from G.R. No. 216930 SEC. 4. With the approval of the President of the Philippines, the required age for admission to the public elementary schools may be raised to not more than nine years and the length of time required for the completion of the elementary instruction comprising both the primary and intermediate courses reduced to not less than five years. Any increase that may be approved in accordance with this section regarding the minimum age of school children shall not affect those already enrolled before the school year 1940-1941. The law also made compulsory the attendance and completion of elementary education, except when the child was mentally or physically incapable of attending school or when it was inconvenient to do so considering the means of transportation available or on account of economic condition of the parents the child could not afford to continue in school.18 The parents or guardians or those having control of children therein required to attend school without justification were liable to a fine of not less than twenty nor more than fifty pesos.19 In 1947, Executive Order (EO) No. 9420 was issued renaming the Department of Instructions to the Department of Education. In 1953, RA No. 89621 or the Elementary Education Act of 1953 was passed, again revising the elementary school system and instituting a primary course composed of Grades I to IV, and an intermediate course composed of Grades V to VII, thus: SEC. 3. To put into effect the educational policy established by this Act, the Department of Education is hereby authorized to revise the elementary-school system on the following basis: The primary course shall be composed of four grades (Grades I to IV) and the intermediate course of three grades (Grade V to VII). Pupils who are in the sixth grade of the time this Act goes into effect will not be required to complete the seventh grade before being eligible to enroll in the first year of the secondary school: Provided, That they shall be allowed to elect to enroll in Grade VII if they so desire. This law also made the enrollment and completion of elementary education mandatory.22 Every parent or guardian or other person having custody of any child was required to enroll such child in a public school upon attaining seven years of age except when: (1) the child enrolled in or transferred in a private school, (2) the distance from the home of the child to the nearest public school exceeded three kilometers or the said public school was not safely or conveniently accessible, (3) on account of indigence, the child could not afford to be in school, (4) child could not be accommodated because of excess enrollment, and (5) child was being homeschooled, under the conditions prescribed by the Secretary of Education.23 The revision of the elementary school system was guided by the policy stated in Section 5, Article XIV of the 1935 Philippine Constitution and with the consideration that it was "the main function of the elementary school to develop healthy citizens of good moral character, equipped with the knowledge, habits, and ideals needed for a happy and useful home and community life."24 In 1972, the Department of Education was again renamed to Department of Education and Culture, through Proclamation No. 1081;25 and was later on converted to Ministry of Education and Culture in 1978.26