Towards the Formulation of the Most Appropriate

Education plays a crucial r0le in national development as it serves as a powerful catalyst for change. Cognizant of this vital role of education, the Philippines has provided for provisions to ensure that the citizens of the country are given access to their right for quality education. Hence, in Article XIV, Section 1 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, the following provision is set:

"The state shall protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education in all levels and shall take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all."

Since education prepares the individual citizen to become a productive player in the economic field, it becomes imperative that the State devise appropriate means to ensure that the citizens are given the opportunity to be equipped with the knowledge, skills and competence that can only be obtained through education. These means, expressed in legal provisions or laws not only guarantee that Filipinos are nurtured to hone their skills for national development purposes, but to guarantee that they are given the opportunity to be enlightened about their rights, about the fundamental values and tenets of justice, democracy, liberty, human dignity, and freedom from ignorance. In this way, the citizens are given the tool to fight and stray from the possible manipulation of corrupt individuals who may take advantage of their weakness and ignorance.

In order to come up with the best philosophy that is most apt for the educational system of the country, it is first imperative to identify the existing philosophy and general aims of education in the milieu of the country.

Based on Presidential Proclamation 480, mandating Education For All for the Year 2000, education in the Philippines revolves on the philosophy that the education of the Filipino is anchored on humanitarianism and equalitarianism.

Meanwhile, as per based on Section 4 of the Education Act of 1982, the educational system aims to:

1. Provide for a broad general education that will assist each individual, in the peculiar ecology of his own society, to (a) attain his potentials as a human being;