Linda Saab: Australia's Educational System

Dear Dr. Olga,

I consider my assignment “ Educational System in Australia “ as a blessing because I was able to research and familiarize their educational system. One of the universities in which I researched is the Queensland University. The motto is "By means of knowledge and hard work" and one of the missions is to provide students opportunities to grow closer to God as they pursue their academic interest and professional development.

I learned that the their educational system consists of 12 years . The primary starts 5 year old (year 1) until 12 years old (year 7). For the secondary junior high school 13-14 years old (year 8,9,10) and for senior high school 15,16 (year 11-12) . For students who has problem in their studies will be put in special class to help academic deficits. Special class such as“ Family Day Care and Child Care” Results of last 2 yrs of high school will be evaluated for entry level of universities. Results for each subject will be compared to the rest of students. Board of Secondary Studies Calculates an “OP” (over all position) using the formula of High School results and test called “QCS” ( in Queensland) taken by every year 12 .The last 2 years is where the students begin to guide their education towards their chosen professions. The Certificate and Diplomas of Vocational Courses allow the students to enter and leave different levels of academic studies. The technical courses are often considered a “bridge” to enter in Australian University and after completion of certificate course, credits for Diploma courses or Degrees may be given for the students who continues in the universities.

The proposed K+12 Curriculum of Aquino administration is patterned after the Educational System of Australia. If it could be push through and with the implementation would be followed religiously then our country will improve. The problem if after the term of present administration if the successor will have another system .

I learned that the schedule of lessons is from Monday to Friday, 8:45 am to 3 pm, with breaks for lunch and snacks. For Extra Curricular activities such as soccer practice, dance classes, etc. is done after school hours or Saturdays mornings. They have also private and public schools . The private school in general are related to a religion and usually they offer more options in music, sports and dances.

The government schools offer subsidized transport . Their school calendar starts in January and end in December. During the school year there are small breaks (6-7 weeks) two terms per semester . The school vacations are in general in April, July and September.

Universities in Australia offer graduate programs or post graduate. For graduate certificates it takes six months, for the master degrees one year, for the master honor 1.5 year and for doctorate it takes two years. The degrees are not measured by time but by subjects courses taken per semester. For students, they have “study now pay later”. It will only be deducted in a percentile of their income by the time have earned enough money or get job.

Australians are very friendly and helpful people .They live in coastal areas because the interior of the country called "the Outback", can be a very arid area with m any deserts and lack of water. Australia is considered one of the most competitive nations on Earth. This covers all areas of life including the work place. Today there is not a single international contest without at least many Aussies running in top position.

Implementation of policies is strictly followed in Australia. When they going fishing they bring gear , bait and a ruler to measure their catch. To drive a boat they need a license, except if the motor is less than horsepower. If they catch a fish that doesn't comply with the rules, they return it immediately to the sea. It’s so different in the Philippines when it comes to fishing.

Cinemas in Australia are disappearing from the streets and are moving to inside Shopping Centers .Australians are compulsive buyers having some of the biggest credit card debts in the world. In the Philippines compulsive buying is seasonal like fiesta, Christmas and other important days.

Nothing demands as much attention from Australians as a House. For them, it is a national symbol of security. Firstly, it is relatively easy to buy a house in Australia, as soon as they have a job for more than 6 months. The banks finance them for up to 30 years, and the government is giving an incentive for first homebuyers. There are lot of people who buy 2 or 3 houses to rent out and let the rent pay the bloody Mortgage. Older people also don't stay long, because as soon as they have the Mortgage paid off, they sell the place; buy a smaller one, put some cash aside for retirement and travel. Many Australians don't grow roots in the place they were born. However, in the Philippines it’s a culture to preserve the ancestral homes and prefer to grow old and die in the place where they were born. Even for those who have green cards, they still come back and preferred to die in our place.

Going to the beach on weekends because of the thinning of the Ozone layer above some areas, there is a greater danger of harmful rays from the sun. Australia is one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world; so if you go to the beach, take hats and sun block. Another ,it is prohibited to sell anything on the beach without a council permit, and wherever dogs are allowed, they must be on a leash. The majority of the population are very concerned about ecological and preservation matters. Not only will normal people report damage to the environment, but the authorities will also give you heavy fines for dumping anything you are not allowed to. They really are strict in following laws. I have high hopes that Filipinos would start segregating waste and be more concern of the environment.

Australia isn't bountiful work wise contrary to most peoples' opinion . It is just like any other country in the world. Unemployment in Australia is around 6% in some areas and in others can reach up to12%. A qualified person who can speak good English will have much more chance of finding a job than everybody else.

Australians are very hard workers and very specialized in one skill. Even those with multiple skills, don't necessarily find that they bring better work. Specialization is the keyword in Australia. They are very competitive when working, and this competition can be reflected in difficulties holding down a job and it motivates the worker to keep up with the latest technology.

Payments are made mostly weekly, and are related to the number of hours worked that week. Australian average wages are something around AU$ 498 per week or AU$ 25,846.00 per annum. Their money would roll and they could avoid debts. Unlike in our situation like teachers .They are paid monthly and would end of “ No more take home pay” Most employee are entangled with the cobweb of debts.

The greatest problem for professionals from other countries working in Australia, is the protectionism from State's unions and syndicates that devote themselves to local workers. Despite having 20 years work experience as a plumber in England, had to take a course and get a State license to work in Australia. It is worthwhile ended , knowing Educational System in Australia.

Linda Saab: Japan's Educational System

Dear Dr. Olga

I find it worthy to know the educational system of Japan. As we all know we were under Japanese regime from 1942 to 1945 .Japanese people are part of our past. Japanese government made reparation through JICA Projects like buildings ,comfort rooms etc. Japanese educational system passed through several pattern of government .In 1868,she patterned after that of German and French Model which is more of Science education. After the second world war ,she patterned the educational system in America.

I learned that the U.S is the model for the school system and that France was the model for the centralized administration system and the school district system. There was school fees before but it was abolished to increase the participation rate and a system of automatic progression was adopted. The Japanese Education is 6-3-3-4. The first nine years is compulsory education , grades 1-6 Elementary, Grade 7 to 9- Junior High School, Grades 10 to 12 Senior High School . They have no drop outs students because of automatic progression at elementary and junior high school. Over 90% of all students also graduate from high school and over 40% from university or junior college. The government provides lunch for the students so the students health are being taken care of .Healthy people are productive citizens. There report card is descriptive. They give attention to teach and use their language which Niponggo. There class schedule starts at 8:30 and end at 3:30. With in this schedule includes Lunch and tooth brushing , recess cleaning, self-study. I learned that their educational system is effective because their progress is evident. The government strictly implement the policies and promote love.

As what universities did , the Japanese school system are looking forward to entrance exams in all level from elementary to college, and with them a high competitiveness among students. In order to pass entrance exams to the best institutions, many students attend special preparation schools (juku) besides regular classes, or for one to two years between high school and university (yobiko) because passing entrance exams in the university is a distinctive mark. The most prestigious universities are national national University of Tokyo and University of Kyoto, followed by the best private universities. Private universities are considered best also in many other nations.

Some thoughts on Comparative Education .... by Linda Saab

Dear Dr. Olga,

In the past I was pessimistic of contest or the idea of comparing because it is said in the scripture “ Do not compare yourself to others you maybe less or more than what you expect”. I just work to the best I can and feel the contentment of the things I have achieved. I don’t want to be compared to other teacher or administrator because I feel that I am unique and we have individual potentials bestowed by God .

This era, data are being gathered and compared like the test results, nutritional status , grades, salaries and for many other activities. I am now beginning to understand the significance of comparative studies to analyze that our work is unique and by comparing the result to our previous work would create challenge in us to improve our work and at the same time if we compare it to others, we feel challenged to strive for better result that would influence others thereby contaminating others to strive for more improvement/ development of themselves and for the society as whole. Through this, I will be able to recognize the strength and weaknesses. With this, weaknesses could be given attention/ focus to address to get the desired result. One would find that what is happening in our home, society and nation is better to stimulate for more researches and solutions that would improve the living condition of our country to have practical reform and better school system. And a desirable attitudes for the benefits of all people.

As I enroll this subject I begun to understand the significance of comparing for the improvement and better result like education in the Philippines. There is a need to compare the educational system from one country to another to have better insights and for the improvement of the daily tasks. Also to review the system to measure effectiveness and for better implementation in order to open for all new opportunities for the school to address the need of society. It is in comparing that we can see the difference and to embrace it positively that would give much effort for the development and improvement to have better school, community and society as a whole.

Speech on Advocating K+12.... by Linda Saab

Date : Nov.20,2010

A speech to be delivered to the General Parent Teachers Association Meeting


To our young energetic Barangay Capt. Teodulo D. Pabatao ,to our very supportive GPTA President Mr. Joseph B. Abol, to our young and generous GPTA Auditor Mrs. Corazon B. Abucay,to the President of alumni association Mrs. Nanette Tarnate, The student pupil government Kate Tricia Lagunay to our cooperative parents , devoted teachers ,ladies and gentlemen.

Our national hero ones said that “ The youth is the hope of fatherland” I want to ask you about our observation about our youth, can we expect something from them ? Do they posses values worthy for emulation to the generations to come? Who among you here have children already graduated? After graduation , do they have avenues for job? Have you hear about K+12 ? Yes thank you for that . Did you understand what K+12 is all about? I hope you will listen to be able to understand it well so that you will also be the walking advertisement of this proposed change of curriculum. K12 is enhanced curriculum 12 years na ang Basic Education Program that is Kindergaten + 12 years in elementary and secondary education. In short additional years to equip our children for the necessary skills and abilities to be employed in the market world. Sa Pilipinas lamang mayroong 10 years in basic education. Sa mga lugar katulad ng Brunie, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand ,Vietnam ay may 12 years Basic Education. I have a friend her daughter who is a licensed nurse did not qualify to work abroad because of her age. Psychologists and educators say that children under 18 are generally not emotionally prepared for entrepreneurship or employment .In our present system there is a mismatch in the labor and education markets. The graduates in the Philippines are not automatically recognized as professionals abroad.

The advantages of this Enhanced curriculum is that every graduate of K+12 Basic Education is ready to take his place as productive and responsible member of society. Graduates will possess competencies and skills relevant to the job market so that our graduates will be prepared for higher education, better to start their own business and they could now be recognized abroad. Ang klase sa atong edukasyon layo ra sa laing nasud. Pina agi niining K+12, kindergarten,unom ka tuig sa elementayra, upat ka tuig sa junior high school,(Grades 11 to 12) duha ka tuig sa senior high school. The two years in senior high school will allow specializations in science and technology, music and arts, agriculture and fisheries, sports, business and entrepreneurship . Sa lagtod nga pagkasulti mao kini ang K-6-4-2 Model, 6 years modawat sa diploma, 4 years junior high school modawat gihapon og diploma ug usab ang 2 years nga senior high school. A full 12 years of basic education will eventually be required for entry into tertiary level education. Parents and stakeholders maybe you are still in doubt to this program . Ang sabi sa ating pangulo “ Tao ang Boss” Anuman ang opinion at kuro-kuro ninyo ay pwede nating pag usapan. What is important that the government officials are trying their best to improve the quality of educational system of the Philippines for the betterment of all Filipinos and the generations to come. I would like to say thank you for listening mabuhay ang Pilipino , mabuhay ang Pilipinas !

LINDA D. SAAB
Principal

Ophelia S Lumogda: Korea & UK Education

Korea is situated in the territory of South East Asia while United Kingdom is located in the North Western Coast in Europe. What makes their educational system
comparable? What are the differences between the two? Let me count the ways….

Both of their education is compulsory and administered by the Ministry of Education. In the United Kingdom, their educational structure is divided into 4 main parts: Primary ranges from (5 to 7 )&(7 to 11), Secondary and further Education from (11 to 16).Students are given assessment at the end of each stage. The most important assessment occurs at age 16 when students pursue General Certificate of Secondary Education. Once the students completed their GCSE they have the choice to go to further studies education and their potential higher education or finish school and go to work.

The educational system in United Kingdom observes an Entry Requirements. Each level of education in the UK has varying requirements which must be satisfied in order to gain entry at the level-learner .

Their curriculum is packed with the guidance and tools to help school designs a curriculum that inspires and challenges all their learners. It sets out the knowledge and skills that are important to their children to become successful learner, confident individual, and respectful citizen. The subjects offered are Art and Design, Citizenship, Designs and Technology, Geography, History,Information and Communication technology Modern foreign Languages and Politics. More or less the subjects offered in their curriculum has some similarities to the Philippine education

On the other hand, in Korea the subjects consist of Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Language Arts, Fine Arts, English, P.E and Korean .

The structure of their education is Primary ,Secondary and Middle Schools. The students in the secondary are given assessment based on his level of education. In the middle school it consist of the three grades ; this marks considerable shift from elementary school, with students expected to take studies and school much more seriously. Most middle school students take six lessons a day; Math,English, Korean, Social Studies, Science as the core subjects. Just like in the Philippines classes are from Mondays to Fridays and Saturdays are activity time.

If I am in the position to assess which of the curriculum between the two which is superior than other ,it’s the United Kingdom.

Mitchell Villaceran: United Kingdom's Educational System

When we speak of the UK Educational System, the four constituent countries have similar system. In terms of structure, they have pre-higher education system and higher education system.

The pre-higher education is the compulsory education. This starts with 5 year old to 16 year old. Under pre-higher education are the primary education, which is a 6 year education program-from age 5 to 11, and the comprehensive school, which is from ages 11 to 16. The primary education is divided into two: the Basic First Stage – a two year education program for age 5 to 7 – and the Basic Second Stage – a four year education program for age 7 to 11. They also have secondary education – for age 11 to 16 – which has three types of school: the Secondary Modern, Grammar School and City Technology College. Then, they have the Sixth Form forage 16 to 18.

UK’s classes are on September to July. The language of instruction is, of course, English.

Talking about the university levels, they have the first stage – Undergraduate Stage, the second stage – Master’s Degree or Master of Philosophy, and the third stage – Doctor of Philosophy or Higher Doctorate.

They, too, have Open Universities, which offers distance higher education.
UK education has given importance on Physical Education. This is evident because many famous athletes came from UK.

The UK Education System seemed to be different. They divided the primary education into different stage and so with the secondary education that they have different types.

Whatever the curriculum is, the bottom line is always the implementation.

Mitchell Villaceran: South Korea's Education

I was caught with the statement that education in South Korea, as pointed by the reporter Sally Aguilar last January 22, is viewed crucial for success and competition is consequently very neatly heated and fierce. This is evident with the kind of system they have that students can go home at midnight from school. After their regular class, they go to academies where they attend tutorial sessions.

South Korean Education is managed and governed by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. Sometimes they don't consider Physical Education important.
They have kindergarten but it is not publicly administered, so, parents send their children to private schools. Children age 3-7 are in preschool. The elementary education caters children ages 8 to 14 in Korean years (6-13 in western years). Usually, the class teacher is in-charge most of the subject and there are some specialized teachers in profession like Physical Education and Foreign Language.
In their secondary education, it is composed of two levels: the middle school and the high school. The middle school is composed of three grades, from age 12/13 to 15/16 (western years). Before the class, students have an extra block, 30 minutes long, spent for self-study, watching educational broadcast, or for personal or class administration. They offered special classes on Saturdays for Club Activity (CA) Lessons. It is a half day class on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Saturday of the month
The high schools in Korea can be divided into two which would depend on the interest of the students. They have special high school where students must take entrance exam. The other type of high schools is with or without entrance exam in both in public or private high schools. The latter does not focus on specialized field but on sending students to college. Then, after high school, students may go to college or vocational school.

So far, South Korean Education is rigorous. Schools supported “self-study” sessions that last until midnight.

Sally Aguilar: South Korea's Educational System

From my research and internet surfing for my assigned report last January 22, 2011, the education in South Korea is viewed as crucial because success and competition is consequently very neatly heated and fierced. A centralized administration oversees the process for the education of children from Kindergarten to the third and final year of high school.

The following are generally considered as the most important subjects; Mathematics, Science, Korean, Social Studies, and English. Sometimes Physical Education is not considered important as it is not regarded to be education and therefore many schools lack high quality gymnasiums and varsity athletics.

South Korea was the first country in the world to provide high-speed internet access from every primary, junior and high school. Their school year is divided into two semesters. The first begins in the beginning of March and ends in mid-July; The second begins in late August and ends in mid-February. They have summer vacation from mid-July to late-August, and winter vacation from late-December to early February to March 1.

The Ministry of Education's Science and Technology (often abbreviated into “the Ministry of Education”) is responsible for South Korean Education. Meanwhile as I looked into our educational system, in our country Philippines, here are the Principles and general objectives and our education system aims to:

• Provide a broad general education that will assist each individual in society to attain his/her potential as a human being, and enhance the range and quality of the individual and the group;
• Help the individual participate in the basic functions of society and acquire the essential educational foundation for his/her development into a productive and versatile citizen;
• Train the nation’s manpower in the middle-level skills required for national development;
• Develop the high-level professions that will provide leadership for the nation, advance knowledge through research, and apply new knowledge for improving the quality of human life;
• Respond effectively to changing needs and conditions through a system of educational planning and evaluation.

I, as a teacher is hoping and doing my best to uplift the standard of our education. I know that my co educators also who are my classmates in this subject wished the same but, we know that this is possible if the people in-charge on top would also aim like we do. Maybe in my own little way, I can help change for the better and implement changes in my classroom and my students.

Sally Aguilar: United Kingdom's Educational System

Life is full of surprises, this is a universal knowledge but my experience upon listening while exploring the different parts of the world and their educational system is fun and I am really looking forward to this subject in order to get to know about their education, location, beautiful places and great people.

From the enthusiastic sharing of the reporter, Ms. Bernadette Calvo last January 22,2011, my past knowledge was refreshed and enhanced about the countries of the United Kingdom. United Kingdom is a term used to describe England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. These four countries together form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland which is a sovereign state.

By law, all children in England and Wales between ages 5 and 16 must receive a full-time education, while in Northern Ireland, children must begin at age 4. For children under age 5, publicly-funded nurseries and pre-schools are available for a limited number of hours each week. After the age of 16, students can attend sixth form colleges or other further education institutions. Both options offer general education courses in addition to more specific vocational or applied subjects.

The UK introduced a National Curriculum in 1992 and state schools are required to adhere to it until students reach age 16. The Education and Skills Act of 2008 raised the compulsory age to 18, effective 2013 for 17 year-olds and in 2015 for 18 year-olds. (Independent schools are not obliged to adhere to the National Curriculum.)

National Curriculum core subjects are: English (Welsh is also a core subject in Welsh-speaking schools), mathematics, science, design and technology, information and communication technology, history, geography, modern foreign languages, music, art and design, physical education, and citizenship. In addition to these core subjects are a number of other compulsory courses, such as religious education.
Northern Ireland follows a similar framework; however, schools can develop additional curriculum elements to express their particular ethos and meet pupils' individual needs and circumstances. The curriculum also includes the Irish language in Irish-speaking schools.

Ophelia S. Lumogda: Finland's educational system

Finland educational system is also very interesting . Their Educational system is called an egalitarian. Just like other countries their education is compulsory and no tuition fees for full time students and above all free meals served to pupils and students. Which some of the public schools in the Philippines has the same practice by giving a kilo of rice to the elementary pupils in the barrio to encourage them to go school and to avoid empty stomach in attending classes.

Private schools are few in Finland. The opening of a private school requires a political decision. Unlike in the Philippine, the DepED is very loose in allowing anybody to open a school as long as they can come up with the requirements.

In terms of their giving academic assessments to the students they rated it numerically .If the student will receive a multiple failing marks they will be asked to repeat. In the Philippines, three failing marks means retention or non promotion to the next year level or sometimes advise to take summer classes.

In Finland, teachers are competent in their respected field. The selection is tough and all teachers need a master’s degree. The government invests and strengthens the professional growth of the teachers, thus teachers are highly respected and appreciated. In our country, the Department of Education allocates a big amount for teachers seminars and training . The Secretary of Education gives fifty thousand to all non performing schools to buy reviewers and materials to aid them increase the annual achievement test conducted by the Deped. And those teachers who are in the non performing school are given trainings and seminars and other incentives to improve the academic rating of the national achievement test.

The Finnish authorities always have seen education as the key to survive and thrive in an increasingly competitive world. All governments, from left to right have respected over the past 4 decades, that economic growth is the primary goal, with education as the critical driver. They further believe that to be competitive, the government should invest in education and research foster innovation and cutting edge development. This belief is comparative to the vision of the Department of Education.

Knowing the educational system of some countries of the world like Finland, China, Japan and Australia, the Philippine Educational system is also competitive.

Sally Aguilar: Finland's Educational System

Dear Professor,

The sharing of Mr. Joel Jayme last January 15 made me learn about the structure of education in Finland and I summarized it here:

Duration of compulsory education: Age of entry: 7 Age of exit: 16. The structure of school system is Basic and the type of school providing this education is comprehensive school. The length of program in years is 9 years from ages 7 to 16. The certificate/diploma awarded is School Leaving Certificate.

General Secondary: Type of school providing this education: General upper secondary education. Length of program in years: 3 Age level from: 16 to 19. Certificate/diploma awarded: (General Upper Secondary School Certificate); (Certificate of Matriculation)

Vocational Secondary: Type of school providing this education: Vocational upper secondary education: Length of program in years: 3 Age level from: 16 to 19. Certificate/diploma awarded: (Vocational Qualification Certificate).

After completing 9-year basic education, students can choose between general upper secondary education and vocational upper secondary education: 1) general upper secondary school provides general education leading to the national Matriculation examination, which gives eligibility to all forms of higher education; 2) vocational upper secondary education may be organized in vocational education institutions or in the form of apprenticeship training. An (initial) Vocational Qualification takes three years to complete and gives eligibility to all forms of higher education. In vocational, further education and training is also possible to obtain. Further Vocational Qualifications and Specialist Vocational Qualifications which can only be taken as competence-based examinations and are mainly intended for employed adults.

The higher education system of Finland is binary. It comprises Universities and Polytechnics. The Finnish higher education system comprises 20 universities and 29 polytechnics. Ten of the universities are multi-faculty universities and ten are specialized institutions. All universities engage in both education and research and have the right to award doctorates. The polytechnics are multi-field institutions of professional higher education. They are specialized in applied research and development. Universities award first cycle university degrees second cycle university degrees and third cycle scientific post-graduate degrees. Polytechnics award first cycle polytechnic degrees and second cycle polytechnic degrees.

I realized that our educational system is quite different from them because, we have only ten years in elementary and high school educational. Theirs are 12 years up and they have middle school or junior high school in preparation for those who will not enroll in college. If they won’t enroll, they have already the knowledge and skill to support their future and a job to fall back to.

Sometimes it is not about the education of a person but the values he has as an individual. There are many cases that an educated person acts like having not gone to school after all. I am talking about some of our coworkers who knew the laws and their authority but they did not use it properly, and all they did were engaging in taking advantage of the ignorance of others. Sometimes they engaged in corruption, not only in the form of money but of the ability of their employees and subordinates.

So maybe our educational system should focused more on the behavioral enrichment of each individual. The values integration which should starts in the family as the basic unit in the society then in the community, then in his country and in the world. The parents should also be given talks or symposium about the kind of children we have at present and let them intervene and interfere because they are their children and they should be aware of what is going on in the society and how to guide their children to the road of wellness and success.

Thanks a lot for another chance to learn about education in Finland.

Sally Aguilar

Sally Aguilar: China's Educational System

Dear Professor,

I learned from Ms Mercy Caronia last January 15, 2011 that the Educational System in China is divided into three categories: basic education, higher education, and adult education. The Compulsory Education Law of China stipulates that each child has nine years of formal education. Basic education in China includes pre-school education, primary education and regular secondary education.

Preschool, or kindergarten, can last up to three years, with children entering as early as age three, until age six, when they typically enter elementary school. The academic year is divided into two semesters.

Secondary education is divided into academic secondary education and specialized/vocational/technical secondary education. Academic secondary education is delivered by academic lower and upper middle schools. Lower middle school graduates wishing to continue their education take a locally administered entrance exam, on the basis of which they will have the option either of continuing in an academic upper middle school or of entering a vocational secondary school. Vocational schools offer programs ranging from two to four years and train medium-level skilled workers, farmers, and managerial and technical personnel. Technical schools typically offer four-years programs to train intermediate technical personnel. “Schools for Skilled Workers” typically train junior middle school graduates for positions requiring production and operation skills. The length of training is typically three year.

Higher education at the undergraduate level includes two-and three-year junior colleges(sometimes also called short-cycle colleges, four-year colleges, and universities offering programs in both academic and vocational subjects. Many colleges and universities also offer graduate programs leading to the master’s or Ph.D. degree.

Chinese higher education at the undergraduate level is divided into three-year and four-year programs. The former is offered not only at short-cycle colleges, but frequently also at four-year colleges and universities. The latter is offered at four-year colleges and universities but do not always lead to the bachelor’s degree.

Myriad higher education opportunities also fall under the general category of adult education. The adult education category overlaps all three of the above categories. Adult primary education includes Workers’ Primary Schools, Peasants’ Primary Schools, and literacy classes. Adult secondary education includes radio/TV specialized secondary schools, specialized secondary school for cadres, specialized secondary schools for staff and workers, specialized secondary schools for peasants, in-service teacher training schools and correspondence specialized secondary schools. Adult higher education includes radio/TV universities, cadre institutes, workers’ colleges, peasant colleges, correspondence colleges, and educational colleges. Most of the above offer both two- and three-year short-cycle curricula; only a few also offer regular undergraduate curricula.

I realized that education really is the key to betterment in any systems and processes and that innovation is the mother of change. Being educated is what matters most because this will make the individual ready to face the world which is full of struggle and challenges that could make that person worthy of being who he is. A person who could decide justly and without bias, a person with self-trust and people-oriented.

Thank you Dr Olga for the activities that made us learn how the Chinese are educated.

Sally Aguilar

Sally Aguilar: Japan's educational system

Dear Professor,

Upon listening to ma’am Mitch Villaceran' sharing ( December 4, 2010), about the educational system of Japan, and how she enjoyed the experience to having an opportunity to explore the country, my interest of knowing this country a little was engrossed. I learned that Japan’s name means "sun-origin", which is why Japan is sometimes referred to as the "Land of the Rising Sun".

I learned from the internet also that the English word of Japan is an exonym. The Japanese names for Japan are Nippon and Nihon. They are both written in Japanese using the kanji 日本. The Japanese name Nippon is used for most official purposes, including on Japanese money, postage stamps, and for many international sporting events. Nihon is a more casual term and the most frequently used in contemporary speech. Japanese people refer to themselves as Nihonjin (日本人?) and to their language as Nihongo (日本語?). Both Nippon and Nihon literally mean "sun's origin" and are often translated as the Land of the Rising Sun. (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Another knowledge I gather is the schooling years in the Japanese education system are segmented along the lines of 6-3-3-4: 6 years of primary or elementary school; 3 years of middle or junior high school; 3 years of high school; and 4 years of university. However, the government has just announced (October 2005, Daily Yomiuri) that it is intending to make changes in the Education Law to allow schools to merge the 6-3 division between elementary and middle schools. The key purpose for this change is to allow elementary and middle schools to pool or share their resources, with special regard to making available specialist teachers of middle schools to elementary schools.

I knew also from the net that compulsory education covers elementary school and junior high school. A break from the past, modern public schools in Japan today are mostly coed (more than 99% of elementary schools). The Japanese school year begins in April and students attend school for three terms except for brief spring and winter breaks and a one month long summer holiday. (http://www.education-in-japan.info/sub1.html)

In Japan, education is compulsory at the elementary and lower secondary levels. Virtually all students progress to the upper secondary level, which is voluntary. Most students attend public schools through the lower secondary level, but private education is popular at the upper secondary and university levels. Japan's education system played a central part in Japan's recovery and rapid economic growth in the decades following the end of World War II.

Now I realized that if only in our country there is unity and support of everybody in whatever program the government will implement; and if only our government officials and leaders would really use all the resources to make the educational system in the Philippines work and effective. We would be as progressive, productive and effective country as Japan. I also realized that change should start in our educational system and in the program of education. Just like in Japan, why is it that their elementary pupils already know how to make gadgets like calculators, radio, and flashlight in their young age? And why is it that our pupils here can not? So maybe, the educational leaders should do some improvement and changes in the educational system in our country and maybe then, we could uplift our educational status in the international rankings. There is one thing to keep in mind here; the Japanese students are not necessarily born far more intelligent than the rest. So , there is still hope for our educational system to be effective and to soar high like theirs. Then we would enjoy the same kinds of success, the test scores would go up and the future of our country would look a whole lot brighter than it does.

Yours,
Sally S. Aguilar
Ph.D-Ed.Mngt. 1

Ophelia S. Lumogda: Australia's educational system

Australia ( /əˈstreɪljə/), officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.N4 Neighbouring countries include Indonesia, East Timor and Papua New Guinea to the north, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia to the northeast and New Zealand to the southeast (www.yahoo.com)

The educational system of Australia which is 12 years in Primary and Secondary Schools remind me of the proposed new curriculum K+12 which means kinder + 12 years basic education on the year 2012.However, the grade or year level of the students in Australia is based on their age hence the students are grouped according to their age not on their mental capacity. The way I look at their education, they are too liberal and loose to their students while Philippine educational system is a little bit stiff, strict to the students for we don’t promote them to the next grade level if they cannot cope up the passing marks set by the school . In short, we fail those who doesn’t deserve . In Australia, they hardly fail students instead they would be put in the special classes to help them cope their academic deficiencies. I am amiable of this idea because I believe that failure is not an option instead we will exhaust all the possibilities to help the students unless it’s already isolated cases wherein that student should be taught a lesson by failing him.

Early as Junior high school they have already the opportunity to enter the work force or in any vocational course and they are only compulsory to stay to ten years and receive a junior certificate but not a high school diploma. The additional two years in high school is very significant because it is their determinant whether they can proceed to college and enroll their chosen course. They will be evaluated by the board of secondary studies and compare to the other schools in terms of their mental abilities. In the Philippines , the DepED encourage everyone to go to school and finish high school and obtain high school diploma and if given a chance take a four year course in college .Thus, free education is a privilege given to every Filipinos as their constitutional right to attain the DepED thrust which is No Child left Behind and realize the vision which is Zero illiteracy in the years to come.

The school year calendar in Australia is different from us because they start classes on January and ends on December but more or less we have the same number of weeks in school breaks.And in terms of the subjects offer in their curriculum it is quite similar to the Philippine Educational system and to mention their subjects Health, Science, Mathematics, Studies of Secondary Environment and Technology, Physical Education, Language other than English ,Arts and English as their Second language..

Australian Education has its own way of classroom management or school discipline and to mention: Each child has a wooden peg with their name on it. Each peg is placed around the green smiley face-this is the positive behavior station. If a classroom rule is broken, the child’s peg is moved to the yellow smiley face ,this is like warning. On the second warning the peg moves to the red face which means things are starting to get serious. The last blue face means a trip to the office to visit the principal..

In our country ,corporal punishment is prohibited, that there is even a law that support it. The school should be a friendly environment wherein learning must be fun. The teacher should act as the second parent of the child and the school as the second home.

I am still on the ground that the Philippine Educational System is not behind to the other countries that we have a better curriculum than the others.However , despite the very good program of the DepED and aid of the government to the Philippine education, why is it that we are still at the bottom and in the third world country? Are we only good in planning but not in executing/


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Ophelia S Lumogda: China vis a vis Philippine Education

China is considered as one of the powerful countries in the world. It’s expansion of commerce and trade makes China globally competitive. Base on the research and report of Ms. Mercy Caronia last January 15, 2011 , China’s literacy rate is superior for it reaches to 92 % and ranks as 81st in the world base in the educational index.

The educational system of China is governed by the government called as Ministry of Education. Their primary language is Mandarin. Like Philippines,Education is compulsory. The government provides primary education for six years, starting at six or seven followed by six years of secondary education for ages 12 to 18.It also created a special fund to improve conditions in China’s basic education years, for new construction ,expansion, and the rebuilding of run down structures of th school. Similarly in our country, a big extraction of budget for the Department of Education for school construction, repair and school facilities.

By 2010, the Government in China aims to attain the level of moderately developed countries. While in the Philippine we aim to attain 100% literate Filipinos by 2015.

Their primary school curriculum is almost similar to RBEC in the Philippine. They too have mathematics, history and geography Physical Education, Music and Arts and of course Chinese Language. Their foreign language is English, while in the Philippine English is not foreign but a second language.

To attain higher literacy rate, China’s government created a scholarship and loan system to help students who could not cover their own living expenses but they studied hard, obeyed the state laws and observed discipline codes. Similarly, in our country, the government has a Study Now Pay Later Program, This project is intended to those students who are academically good but cannot afford to support themselves in college because the income of the parents is not sufficient. This program of the government benefits a lot of Filipino students to pursue their studies in college.

On September 1, 2003,the government in China created a law that supports private educational organizations. It is the first law on Promotion Of Private Education. The rationale behind is, the government believes that the development of private schools means an increase in overall education supply and a change in the traditional pattern of public schools. In the Philippines, the public schools are already partners of the private schools.

It is worthwhile to know that more or less the education in China is comparable to the education in the Philippines.

Linda Saab: The Proposed K+ 12 in the Philippines

Dear Dr. Olga,

I appreciate very much our class discussions in comparative study in educational system . I would like to thank you for discussing K+12 Curriculum. It enhanced my understanding about this hot issue .It’s really a high time to change the curriculum because it has plenty of evidences for it’s curriculum dysfunction . Like the result of National Achievement Test , the jobless Filipinos and the deteriorating of Filipino culture and values. As educators commented about the congested curriculum, inadequate preparation of High School, mismatch to labor and economic market. Mostly, our college graduates don’t have the avenue for jobs. They could not be easily hired abroad because of the age . Graduates in the Philippines are too young compared to the standard of world market. The Basic Education program affect much the human development of Filipino children K+12 years means Kindergarten, 6 years of elementary and 6 years secondary.

Being enrolled in this subject is a beneficial one. I am updated with the current issues as far as DepED is concerned and it’s a great avenue to express my experiences , knowledge and abilities that in one way or the another learning takes place . I would also be continuously learning from others especially to you Dr. Olga. I would like to recognize you effort in uploading the educational videos .The stories really inspired me and made me reflect which I also shared to other School Principals and I believe could change one's perspective knowingly and unknowingly. I know that we will continue to become innovative partners of society in quest for quality education.

God bless you and your family always!


Linda D. Saab
http://ldsaab67blogspotcom.blogspot.com/