are they smart enough?

The Philippine education system started even in the pre colonial period of history. The babaylans and katalonans were the first educators. Usually, they teach only organic medicinal science and household activities. Students are also taught about the civic organizations and how to govern. They are also taught military and warfare education.

The Spanish educators brought Catholicism and scholasticism patterned after the European way of teaching. There was discrimination in part of mestizos and the yndios. Pure Filipino students weren't able to gain higher degree of education which is already available during those times.

The American education system brought by Thomasites in the 19 hundredths totally improved the way of learning in the Philippines and most of the practices that are applied heretofore are remnants of the American paradigm of education.

Today, the secondary education seems to be insufficient when compared to the other countries in Southeast Asia. A drastic move was made when from being Department of Education Culture and Sports, the government arm was renamed as Department of Education to centralize the government activity prior to education.

In the secondary level we have the following as the existing subjects;

First Year

General Science with Earth Science as the main focus
Filipino [Pagbasa, Pagsulat, Pagbigkas]
Panitikan Filipino [Ibong Adarna] Awit at Korido
Technology and Livelihood Economics with Computer Technology
MAPEH
Araling Panlipunan [ Philippine History & Government]
Mathematics [Holistic Math Survey and Introduction to Probability]
English [Reading, Writing, Speech, Literature]
Values Education

Second Year

The same except for

Biology
Panitikang Filipino [Florante at Laura]
Araling Panlipunan [Asian geography History and Government]
Mathematics [Algebra and Introduction to Analytic Geometry]

Third Year

Chemistry
Panitikang Filipino [Noli Me Tangere]
Araling Panlipunan [ World History and Government]
Electricity
Mathematics [Advance Algebra and Matrix]
Math Elective [Geometry]
Values Education

Fourth Year

Physics
Araling Panlipunan [ Economics with AIDS awareness and Family Planning]
Drafting
Panitikan [El Felibusterismo]
Mathematics [ Calculus with Analytic Geometry]
Math Elective [Trigonometry]
Values Education



Just recently, the Aquino administration proposed the K+12 program for education. K+12 means Kindergarten and the 12 years of elementary and secondary education.
Kindergarten refers to the 5-year old cohort that takes a standardized kinder curriculum.Elementary education refers to primary schooling that involves six or seven years of education.

After considering various proposals and studies, the model that is currently being proposed by DepEd is the K-6-4-2 Model. This model involves Kindergarten, six years of elementary education, four years of junior high school (Grades 7 to 10) and two years of senior high school (Grades 11 to 12). The two years of senior high school intend to provide time for students to consolidate acquired academic skills and competencies.

Source= http://www.gov.ph/2010/11/02/briefer-on-the-enhanced-k12-basic-education-program/


Now if ever there will be additional years for secondary education, I want to propose, as a citizen of the country, the following subjects which I guess will help students improve in other essential aspects in between the existing departments of studies. Here they are;

Derivation of Formula

Before you laugh, just let me finish why I want it as a separate subject. It will do progress in the ability of high school students to arrange and rearrange and find proper solutions for what is missing. Each students should install in mind critical mathematical thinking and skills.

When they derive formulas, they will be dealing with variables which are not necessarily numerical. They can apply this problem solving practice even in non mathematical problems and that specially in Physics where they always encounter letters as part of the solution.

Multimedia Technology and Social Networking

Highschool students must be guided on how to use social networking which is the very world they are in today. They have to acquire early on, skills and proper training in multimedia using softwares that are, for most the adults are complicated to use. They should be prepared for this kind of technical works in the future otherwise they will be left behind. They should also learn how to protect themselves from the web of facebook and twitter users who might intent to hack their accounts or do other forms of harm.

Spanish or French

Additional language is required in a globalized world. In this age where they can meet new people via internet, they should know how to communicate with most of them. Most of the people in the world speak not only English but also Spanish and French in a large number of Western Countries. Knowing Spanish will make them understand English language better and of course they will be able to distinguish which Filipino words are innately Filipino and what are borrowed from the Spanish tongue.

Entrepreneurship and Marketing 101

Aside from Technology and Livelihood, students should learn how to sell the products of their labor in this subjects. They should know how to capitalize and promote their own works with confidence. they should learn how the market operates and the school has to equip them with skills to build small businesses early at this stage.