Republic of the Philippines
UNIVERSITY OF ANTIQUE
COLLEGE OF TEACHER EDUCATION
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Sibalom, Antique
Course Subject: ED 103 (CURRENT TRENDS, PROBLEMS AND ISSUES IN EDUCATION)
Topic: ACCESS TO EDUCATION
Professor: RODOLFO CABEROY
Discussant: FERDINAND M. AWACAY
KRISTINE JOY O. HALLARES
ACCESS TO EDUCATION
Education (also called learning, teaching or schooling) in the general sense is any act or experience that has a formative
effect on the mind, character, or physical ability of an individual. • In its technical sense, education is the process by
which society deliberately transmits its accumulated knowledge, skills, and values from one generation to another.
Universal access to education is the ability of all people to have equal opportunity in education, regardless of their social
class, gender, ethnicity background or physical and mental disabilities.
The key to a wonderful future is education. To help make it a concrete reality for all Filipino children, the organizers of
National Children’s Month (NCM) declared “Isulong: Kalidad na Edukasyon Para sa Lahat ng Bata” (Advance Quality
Education for All Children) as the theme of the observance. This theme focuses on the work of providing all Filipino
children access to quality education.
Education is regarded as the major contributor to the improvement of living standards of disadvantaged groups. For
many poor Filipinos, education is a means to a better life. The EFA 2015 Plan asserts that: Basic education as an antipoverty instrument can provide the skills, attitudes, knowledge and values that people can use to organize themselves
for common access to useful information, and a united approach to greater productivity. It can also empower the
marginalized and prevent their exploitation and alienation from the development process.
DepEd is committed to enhancing the quality of basic education.
The Department of Education (DepEd) continues to make substantial investments in basic education through various
programs for all Filipino learners.
Secretary of Education Armin Luistro underscored the department’s commitment to ensure that no learner shall be left
behind. “Our mandate is to provide every Filipino child with access to quality education,” Luistro said. He added that
DepEd’s programs have always been directed at promoting inclusive and learner-centered education for Filipinos.
CHALLENGES TO THE ATTAINMENT OF THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION
1. POVERTY
2. Climate change
3. Devastating disasters
4. Armed conflict
5. Threats to the safety and security of schoolchildren
6. Disabilities
The government has been addressing these challenges through legislations and proactive measures embedded in the
national plans and actions of inter-government agencies. Poverty is being addressed in the Philippine Development Plan
2011-2016 promoting poverty reduction and inclusive growth. There are programs being pursued to reduce poverty
such as the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) and the National Community-Driven Development Program (NCDDP). The
education sector, through the Department of Education (DepEd) is providing financial assistance to students through the
Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASTPE) and is pushing for inclusive education,
particularly for indigenous people, Muslim students, and children with disabilities. Recently, the government developed
the National Climate Change Action Plan to mitigate the impact of climate change in the country. Moreover, the
Philippines adopted a management framework and institutionalized a national plan on disaster risk reduction through
the Philippine Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Act of 2010. The education sector is also doing its part through
the integration of disaster risk reduction in the education system and the establishment of the DepEd Disaster Risk
Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO). Towards a just and lasting peace for the nation, the peace process is being
mainstreamed to gain the general public’s support, to sustain the peace negotiation and to forge peace agreement.
DepEd, for its part, has issued the declaration that schools be “zones of peace” through DepEd Order No. 44 s. 2005. As
for protecting children from all forms of abuses, cruelty and exploitation, the Anti- Bullying Act was enacted through
Republic Act 10627.
To widen the access of marginalized and disadvantaged learners to quality basic education, the Department of
Education (DepEd) implemented the Alternative Delivery Modes (ADMs) in the formal education system in both
elementary and secondary levels.
The ADMs primarily aims to address the problem on classroom congestion and other situations and circumstances,
which prevent children from going to and staying in school.
DepEd anchored the implementation of ADMs on the following principles: 1) Basic education is free and shall be
accessible to all; 2) Education is a right of every individual; 3) Education is inclusive and not discriminating; and 4)
Stakeholder participation is integral to total child development.
Some of the ADMs implemented by DepEd are Modified In-School/Off-School Approach (MISOSA) and Instructional
Management by Parents, Community and Teachers (IMPACT) at the elementary level, and Open High School Program
(OHSP) at the secondary level.
In School Year (SY) 2015-2016, DepEd has recorded a total of 29,454 enrollees in ADMs—6,013 of whom are at the
elementary level and 23,441 at the secondary level.
MISOSA
This alternative modality was developed to address the problems of seasonal absentee learners and congested
classrooms in schools.
Classes under MISOSA are divided into two groups—the in-school group and the off-school group wherein the in-school
group learns in a typical classroom set-up, while the off-school group is given the flexibility to learn and do activities
independently or with a learning facilitator. Then, the in-school group will exchange with and experience the learning
intervention of those in the off-school group, and vice versa.
Moreover, both groups will report to school at the same time for enrichment and assessment of learning.
The off-school group utilizes Self-Instructional Modules, while those inside the classroom use the Learner’s Materials
and textbooks provided by the Department.
IMPACT
It is a technology-enhanced ADM, which aims to address both access and quality education issues. This enables schools
to deliver elementary education despite the lack of teachers, classrooms, and other concerns.
The IMPACT system uses a peer-led approach to enhance learners’ skills and capacitate them with relevant lessons to
reach their fullest potential. This is a system in which the parents, community, and even the students themselves
collaborate and cooperate with the school toward an accessible and quality education.
It utilizes Peer Group Learning for Grades 4 to 6, where learners are divided into small “families” and a student leader
from each family leads the group in answering the modules.
Another approach is the Programmed Teaching where a trained Programmed Teacher handles a class, with the
supervision of the class adviser. Programmed Teachers are Grade 4, 5 and 6 learners handling Grades 1, 2 and 3 classes,
respectively. Materials for each activity under this program are prepared by the class advisers.
Moreover, this alternative modality also utilizes Individual Study for independent learners.
Learners have access to various modules and other instructional materials to guide them in this learning intervention.
OHSP
The OHSP utilizes distance learning as a way for teenagers, especially those who are differently abled or those with
financial difficulties, to still catch up with their lessons. It is a part of the DepEd’s Drop Out Reduction Program (DORP),
which aims to address the needs of students at risk of dropping out.
This program offers independent, self-paced and flexible study programs using self-instructional materials. OHSP
learners are supported by tutors whom they meet occasionally.
Most subjects can be learned off-school except for hands-on subjects like Physical Education and laboratory classes,
which shall be held in school.
Furthermore, DepEd also supports other local initiatives or efforts to widen and improve learners’ access to basic
education, aside from the three introduced alternative modalities. This will better address the access to basic education
problems per region, division, or school.
Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo said in connection with the NCM celebration, “They (the children from the
poorest sectors) are the ones we should give the most attention to as we promote programs that champion children’s
rights – their right to be fed, clothed, protected from abuse and exploitation, and provided with the means to go to
school and to learn.”
Secretary Taguiwalo also said, in words that seem to be addressed both to her fellow government officials and the entire
Filipino citizenry:
“Our efforts to change society must include and give priority to efforts to help children, most especially those who come
from families who can barely address their own needs. We must all work together to address the issues of low wages,
landlessness, widespread lack of productive and sustainable means of livelihood, and lack of job security which affect
the majority of Filipinos so they themselves can become empowered to help their own families and their most
vulnerable members – the children.”
Save the Children project gives the gift of learning to thousands of Filipino children because we know how education
changes a child’s life.
" (School-based management) grants play a great role in order to improve the quality of education delivered to our
learners. If all the teachers and stakeholders are fully aware of their roles and functions and have the proper direction
on how to do and achieve it, quality education and high productivity can be achieved. "
Edselyn Biray
School-based management coordinator, Kalibo, Aklan
http://www.deped.gov.ph/orders/do-54-s-2012.
http://www.deped.gov.ph/press-releases/deped-widens-learners-access-quality-education-through-alternativedelivery-mode
http://www.manilatimes.net/filipino-children-given-access-quality-education
www.officialgazette.gov.ph/.../deped-remains-committed-to-enhancing-the-quality-of education
“Education for All 2015 National Review Report: Philippines”.
http://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/171734/angara-tells-cebuanos-take-advantage-free-college-law#ixzz5DMS1fDq3