THERE ARE MANY PROBLEMS THAT THE PHILIPPINES IS FACING
NOWADAYS, IF YOU HAD A SUPERPOWER, WHICH AMONG THE
PROBLEMS WOULD YOU SOLVE FIRST? WHY?
There are several problems in the Philippines as we speak, either economically,
sociologically, and also politically. Although these need to be addressed, the root of
all these has to be our education system. To cater and condition the minds of our
youth is of the utmost importance because they are the future of our country and the
world we live in. Subsequently, it is also important to teach them our culture and our
beliefs as a country to further mark ourselves as Filipinos. In addition to this,
technological advances will see a big jump in the future and with that our youth
needs to understand how to adapt to such change and to move forward rather than
waiting for other neighboring countries to push them. Thus, we chose this problem
for the overworked and underpaid teachers, and the students who have difficulty
comprehending due to language barriers and crowded classrooms.
1. Underpaid and Overworked Teachers
● Our teachers don't get appreciated enough for the important work that
they do. Which makes being a professor or teacher not worthwhile. Thus,
affecting the quality of education that they provide for the students.
● Not only are they underpaid, but are also overworked because of the
amount of stuff to do which includes both technical and sociological
obligations. Here are some examples, being role models, encoding,
teaching, and being a person that students can trust and rely on.
● Recent studies show that teachers who are overworked and underpaid
are most likely to experience burnouts. Thus, results in an unreliable
quality of education. In turn, affects students' academic performance
and overall comprehension.
● Inadequate funding for professional development opportunities limits
teachers' ability to enhance their skills and stay updated on modern
teaching methodologies, hindering their professional growth.
2. Different Languages in Schools
● English has become the Philippines’ second official language, alongside
the native language, Filipino. The Philippines is regarded as one of the
largest English-speaking nations in the world (Cabigon, 2015). The
Philippines ranked 13th in the English Proficiency Index in 2016
(Magsambol, 2020). It is also the country's language for business,
government, broadcast media, publications, and education. Although
we are recognized as such, being able to speak English doesn’t equate
to Intelligence because, according to the Programme for International
Student Assessment (PISA), the Philippines scored lower in reading,
mathematics, and science compared to other countries in 2018, and
80% of Filipino students did not reach the minimum level of proficiency
in reading. Resulting in one of the lowest performers amongst all the
PISA-participating countries.
● Though the Philippine government implemented curriculums in schools
such as Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) and
passed the law: “The Multi-Lingual Education and Literacy Act of 2010”,
there are still challenges faced by the education crisis in the
Philippines. For example, a.) the implementation of MTB-MLE becoming
ineffective due inadequate funding for learning being used for other
operating expenses in the school and b.) the lack of English to Speakers
of Others Languages (ESOL) materials for both students and teachers
and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) experts
due to teachers not being able to speak the community’s language.
3. Crowded Classrooms
● Overcrowding can reduce students’ ability to pay attention to teachers
and even increase students’ behavior issues. *Moving on, overcrowding
affects both the attention span of students and their behavior while in
class.*
● The lack of school infrastructure and resources to support the ideal
teaching process is the most pressing issue pounding the Philippine
basic education (Palatino, 2023).
● Studies show that overcrowded classroom conditions not only make it
difficult for students to concentrate on their lessons, but certainly limit
the amount of time teachers can spend on innovative teaching
methods required by the curriculum (Jones, 2017).
● The pressure placed on teachers due to overwhelming class sizes leads
to decreased attention and engagement with students.
● By addressing the issue of crowded classrooms, we can create an
environment that promotes effective teaching and learning. Providing
students with smaller class sizes allows teachers to individualize the
attention of each student, and foster a more engaging and interactive
learning experience.
● Therefore, addressing the issue of overcrowded classrooms and
providing enough resources to support the ideal teaching process are
steps towards improving the quality of education in the Philippines.
This study undermines the Philippines’ urgent need to address several issues
concerning the country’s educational system such as the challenges of underpaid
and overworked teachers, language barriers impacting student performance despite
English proficiency, and the detrimental effects of crowded classrooms on both
student attention and teacher effectiveness. By highlighting these obstacles, we
want to emphasize the urgency of comprehensive reforms to enhance the quality and
equality of education, ultimately aiming to empower both educators and students for
a more effective and equitable learning environment.
However, addressing these challenges in the Philippine educational system
calls for long term and sustained efforts. It is not enough to expect government
bodies and educational institutions to provide immediate solutions that will
generate lasting effects. It is not enough to simply produce activities and drives that
temporarily help teachers and students. It is not enough to create advocacies and
mobilizations demanding for short term educational reforms. Educational
improvement requires a longer, larger, and more comprehensive movement. As
Nelson Mandela once said, “education is the most powerful weapon which you can
use to change the world.” Hence, it is all our duty to actively participate in
comprehensive reforms devoted to improving the quality of education of the
Philippines. Let us act now, committing to the betterment of education for future
generations.
Group 4
Abad, John Cedrick
Danganan, Rainer
Enriquez, Schuyler
Escauriaga, Gwyneth Beatrice
Francisco, Ma Carrelou
Gabayne, Jerica
Madelo, Jeffery
Torres, Thyrene
Tumulak, Lawrence James
