As the school year in the Philippines began on July 29, the challenges faced by Filipino students and their families have extended far beyond just showing up for the first day of classes. With approximately 22.8 million learners enrolled in the Philippine public education system, the scale of the challenges becomes overwhelming.
The elementary sector alone, encompassing Grades 1 to 6, accounts for about 12.6 million students. Junior high school (Grades 7 to 10) enrolls 7.4 million, and senior high school (grades 11 and 12) sees around 3.7 million students, as reported by the newly appointed Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara. Overall, this is a slight increase from the 27.3 million recorded enrollees in academic year 2023.
With so many students enrolling, the state of the Philippine public education system comes into sharp focus. The 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) highlighted that the average Filipino 15-year-old student lagged behind peers from other countries in math, science, reading, and creative thinking.
A major factor contributing to these challenges is the state of the classrooms themselves, and Secretary Angara foresees this problem worsening.
DepEd reports a current shortage of 159,000 classrooms, with only 2,000 new classrooms being constructed annually. Recent damage from Typhoon Carina and the habagat (seasonal monsoon) have compounded these issues, with DepEd estimating that approximately 12,866 schools across 10 regions had been affected, resulting in more than 800 schools postponing their class openings. As of mid-2024, over 20,000 school buildings nationwide need repairs, with significant portions deemed unsafe for occupancy. Secretary Amenah Pangandaman announced in a press conference that for 2024, P24.9 billion has been allocated for the construction of 9,897 classrooms. An additional P15 billion is earmarked in the national expenditure program for 2025 for 6,000 more classrooms, and P11 billion is available under the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (NDRRMF) to address the damage.
The shortage of teachers also poses a significant challenge. Despite improvements, with a teacher-to-student ratio of 1:27, this shortage has led to increased workloads for current teachers, adversely impacting the overall quality of education. Beyond teaching, public school teachers are expected to handle administrative duties, support student well-being, engage with parents, participate in community events, and contribute to professional development, all of which add to their workloads.
To address this, Angara announced the implementation of a career progression program for teachers, which includes 140,000 new teaching positions to facilitate promotions based on merit. The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has also noted that new teaching positions will be funded with P6.1 billion under the DepEd budget for the 2025 National Expenditure Program, pending approval of the 2025 national budget.
Curriculum issues further exacerbate the situation, including outdated content, a dense structure, and implementation challenges such as inadequate teacher training and resource limitations. These problems contribute to disparities in educational quality and access, as evidenced by the low PISA rankings and in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). Reports from the World Bank and Unesco’s Global Education Monitoring Report further underscore issues like outdated curricula and educational disparities. Local studies by the Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) reveal misalignments with job market needs, reflecting broader systemic problems.
Steps are being taken to address these issues, including the recent establishment of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EdCom2). EdCom2 has been tasked with conducting a comprehensive review and recommending reforms to improve educational outcomes, aiming to tackle systemic challenges and enhance the quality of education across the country.
