Studies in EducationalEvaluation. Vol. 14, pp. 37-45, 1988
0191-491X/88 $0.00 + .50
Copyright © 1988 Pergamon Press plc
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THE PHILIPPINE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SYSTEM
Marcelina M. Miguel and Victor M. Ordonez
Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports (MECS) Republic of the Philippines
Historical Background
In t h e Philippines, free e l e m e n t a r y e d u c a t i o n is t h e right of every
citizen. In fact, it c o n s t i t u t e s t h e entire e n g a g e m e n t with the formal
e d u c a t i o n s y s t e m for a significant n u m b e r of Filipinos. E n r o l l m e n t in
e l e m e n t a r y e d u c a t i o n h a s expanded rapidly since the 1960's a n d by 1986
a b o u t 8.8 million children, i n c l u d i n g more t h a n 80% of t h o s e in the
e l e m e n t a r y age g r o u p of seven to twelve were enrolled in e l e m e n t a r y
schools.
The m a j o r p r o b l e m s a n d i s s u e s in e l e m e n t a r y e d u c a t i o n are easily
t r a c e d to certain g o v e r n m e n t financial a n d a d m i n i s t r a t i v e policies arising
from the fact t h a t the National Government carries the m a i n responsibility
for financing this level of education. The total b u d g e t a r y allocation for the
M i n i s t r y of E d u c a t i o n , C u l t u r e a n d Sports (MECS) h a s b e e n s t e a d i l y
decreasing so t h a t in 1965 the MECS Budget was 28.5% of the National
Budget; in 1975 it was down to 14% and slightly less t h a n t h a n in 1985. Of
the total MECS budget, 90% goes to the elementary e d u c a t i o n sector. In a
pupil cost s t u d y (EDPITAF, 1979) for example, capital e x p e n d i t u r e on
e l e m e n t a r y e d u c a t i o n a m o u n t e d to a b o u t four U.S. dollars equivalent per
pupil a n d r e c u r r e n t expenditure, forty two U.S. dollars per pupil. Of the
r e c u r r e n t a p p r o p r i a t i o n for e l e m e n t a r y e d u c a t i o n , 98% is allocated for
salaries and administration and only 2% (about eighty U.S. cents per student)
is available for other i n p u t s like textbooks a n d other institutional materials,
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