Reaction Paper Module 7-8
Reaction Paper Module 7-8
Reaction Paper Module 7-8
Surigao City
CURRENT TRENDS IN
EDUCATION
REACTION PAPER ON THE
FOLLOWING:
Prepared by:
ABIGAIL G. MALATA
Master of Arts Major in
Educational Management
MODULE VII – CURRENT TRENDS IN HIGHER EDUCATION
Education in all disciplines is getting a big push through the products of the
technology and its accompanying technical know-how. This century poses increasingly
difficult challenges for all in various realm of life.
The governing body that covers both public and private higher education
institutions in the Philippines is the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and
created in view of the broad agenda for reforms that resulted from the Congressional
Commission on Education (EDCOM) report. The EDCOM report led to the tri-
focalization of the education sector in the country, separating the Department of
Education, Culture and Sports (DECS), into three separate agencies: the Department of
Education (DepEd) for basic education, the Technical Education and Skills
Development Authority (TESDA) for technical-vocational and middle level education,
and CHED for tertiary and graduate education.
Higher education issues can be categorized broadly into two persistent areas of
challenges: (a) quality, and (b) thrusts. Quality issues may involve unemployment and
underemployment due to the lack of desired competencies by the annual cohorts of
graduates from the industry standpoint; local colleges converted into state universities,
and their eventual expansion into satellite campuses, regardless of their compliance
with the criteria for university status; the opening and offering of programs, unmindful of
CHED policies and minimum standards; the lack of a robust faculty profile in terms of
academic preparation and training as well as advanced research capability; or the
evident need to improve access to quality education for the marginalized sector to
translate a higher education degree into real opportunities for social mobility.
Throughout our history, the great turning points that have allowed us to achieve
national redemption and progress have been made possible by the collective efforts of
the Filipino people – at times, despite the worst efforts of our leaders. Some of you may
remember: Decades ago, our country was suffering from the cancer of tyranny and
oppression that characterized martial rule. Before that period, the Philippines were
always being compared to Japan – whether in terms of our economy, or even sports.
For the past four years, with the unwavering support of our people, we have
enacted reform after reform. We overhauled systems that were prone to abuse. We
reformed the way we do our budget – consulting as many stakeholders as possible,
crafting the budget from the grassroots up, and implementing zero-based budgeting,
which makes sure that all government spending will have corresponding and tangible
benefits for our people.
Ambisyon Natin 2040 represents the collective long-term vision and aspirations
of the Filipino people for themselves and for the country in the next 25 years. It
describes the kind of life that people want to live, and how the country will be by 2040.
As such, it is an anchor for development planning across at least four administrations. It
is a picture of the future, a set of life goals and goals for the country. It is different from a
plan, which defines the strategies to achieve the goals. It is like a destination that
answers the question “Where do we want to be?” A plan describes the way to get to
the destination; AmBisyon Natin 2040 is the vision that guides the future and is the
anchor of the country’s plans.
AmBisyon Natin 2040 is the result of a long-term visioning process that began
in 2015. More than 300 citizens participated in focus group discussions and close to
10,000 answered the national survey. Technical studies were prepared to identify
strategic options for realizing the vision articulated by citizens. The exercise benefitted
from the guidance of an Advisory Committee composed of government, private sector,
academe, and civil society. It has a vision that in 2040 the life of the Filipino will be
matatag, Filipino families live together; there is work-life balance so that there is time to
spend with family even for members who work. On weekends, families and friends
enjoy time together in parks and recreational centers. It is a high-trust society with a
strong sense of community. There are volunteer opportunities, and Filipinos spend time
to serve the community, help others who are in need, and contribute to various causes.
Maginhawa in a sense of no one is poor, no one is ever hungry. Filipino families live in
comfortable homes with the desired amenities and secure tenure. Families and friends
are within reach because transport is convenient and affordable, and they can take a
vacation together within the country and abroad. Children receive quality education so
that they realize their full potentials and become productive members of society. Decent
jobs that bring sustainable income are available, including opportunities for
entrepreneurship. Lastly, panatag na buhay were Filipinos feel secure over their entire
lifetime. They expect to live long and enjoy a comfortable life upon retirement. There are
resources to cover unexpected expenses, and there are savings. They feel safe in all
places in the country. Filipinos trust their government because it is free of corruption
and provides service to all its citizens equally.
Indeed, as we look at the different plans in our future we can clearly see that the
government started implementing programs to be realized by 2040 and all the programs
are aligned to the future vision. The destiny of this nation remains within reach. We
need empowerment on one hand that will look for the greater freedom in a society.