Historical Foundations

of Education

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 Education in Primitive
In primitive societies, preliterate persons
Society
faced the problem of survival in an
environment that pitted them against
natural forces and wild animals. To
survive, human beings needed food,
shelter, warmth and clothing. To transform
a hostile environment into one that is life-
sustaining, humankind developed life skills
that eventually became cultural patterns.

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 Education in Primitive
Society
These life skills included 1) tool
or instrument making, 2)
adherence to the moral behavior
code of group life and 3)
language.

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 Education in Primitive
Early humankind found security in group life based
Society
on kinship and tribal patterns. Life in the human
group was educational as children observed and
learned from the elders and as they were
deliberately taught by their parents and elders. For
these cultural patterns to continue, the adults had
to teach these skills and values to their children.
This is socialization, a function of education in
society.

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 Education in Primitive
Socialization is the process by which individuals
Society
internalize the norms and values of society and so
social and cultural continuity are attained. This is
also informal education in action. As abstract
thinkers, human beings could create, use and
manipulate symbols. They could communicate with
one another through gestures, sounds and words.

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 KEY PERIODS IN
EDUCATIONAL HISTORY

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 PRIMITIVE SOCIETIES 7000
In primitive societies survival
B.C.-5000 B.C.
against natural forces was the
need and so what were taught
were survival skills and values to
cultivate group cohesiveness.

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 GREEK 1600 B.C.- 300 B.C.
For the Athenian in ancient Greece,
what mattered most in education was
the rounded development of every
individual while for the Spartan it was
the development of soldiers and
military leaders.

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 ROMAN 750 B.C.-A.D. 450

For the early Romans, schools

needed to develop a sense of
civic responsibility and to
develop administrative and
military skills as citizens of the
Roman Empire.

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 ARABIC A.D. 700-A.D. 1350

For the ancient Arabic world

where Islam rose the most
important concern of
education was to cultivate
religious commitment to
Islamic beliefs.

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 MEDIEVAL A.D. 500-A.D.
During the 1400
Medieval period,
schools were concerned
with the development of
religious commitment,
knowledge and ritual to
establish order.

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 RENAISSANCE A.D. 1350-
Renaissance period was a fervent
period of A.D. 1500 cultural,
European
artistic, political and economic
"rebirth" following the Middle
Ages. Education was focused on
the rediscovery of classical
philosophy, literature and art.

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 REFORMATION A.D. 1500-
The Reformation period
A.D. 1600 had as
for its educational goals the
cultivation of a sense of
commitment to a particular
religious denomination and
general literacy.

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 THE HISTORY OF THE
PHILIPPINE EDUCATIONAL
SYSTEM
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 Education during the Pre-colonial
• Education was informal and unstructured,
period
decentralized. Fathers taught their sons how to
look for food and means other livelihood.
Mothers taught their girls to do the household
chores. This education basically prepared their
children to become good husband and wives.
Teachers were tribal tutors (Babaylan of
Katalonan).

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 Education During the Spanish Era
Education was formal and organized. It was
authoritarian in nature. Tribal tutors of the pre-Spanish
period were replaced by Spanish missionaries. Pupils
attended formal schooling in the parochial school.
Instruction was Religion-oriented. Christian was
doctrines, sacred songs and music and prayers were
taught because they were required for confession and
communion. There was a separate school for boys and
girls. Wealthy Filipinos or the ilustrados were
accommodated in the schools.
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 The Educational Decree of 1863
This law gave Filipinos a complete system of
education from elementary to the collegiate level.
The law provided for the establishment of the
elementary schools in all municipalities in the
country. Although religion was the core of the
curriculum, the curriculum included subjects reading,
writing, arithmetic, history Christian doctrine, Spanish
language, vocal music, agriculture for the boys and
needlework for the girls. Attendance in school was
compulsory between the ages of seven and
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twelve.
Education
 Education during the American Regime
The Americans promoted democratic ideals and
the democratic 1898-1946
way of life. The schools
maintained by the Spaniards for more than three
centuries were closed but were reopened on
August 29, 1898 by the Secretary of the Interior. A
system of free and compulsory elementary
education was established by the Malolos
Constitution

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 Education during the American Regime

(Political Constitution
1898-1946 of 1899). In
May 1898, the first American school
was established in Corregidor, and
shortly after the capture of Manila in
1899, seven schools were opened in
the city.

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 Education during the American Regime
• Training was done through the schools both
public and secular1898-1946
manned by Chaplains and
Military Officers of the US Army.
• Thomasites arrived in the Philippines on August
23, 1901. The University of the Philippines was
founded in 1908. UP was the first state school of
university status.

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 Education during the American Regime

• The Department of Public

1898-1946 Instruction set up
a three level school system. The first level
considered a four-year primary and three-
year intermediate or seven-year elementary
curriculum. The second level was a four-year
junior college and later a four year program.

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 The Commonwealth Period (1935-1942)

• Free education in public schools was

provided all over the country, in accordance
with the 1935 Constitution.
• Vocational education and some household
activities like sewing, cooking, and farming
were also given importance. Education also
emphasized nationalism so the students
were taught about the life of the Filipino
heroes.
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 The Commonwealth Period (1935-1942)

• Education also emphasized nationalism so

the students taught about the life of the
Filipino heroes.
• Vocational education and some household
activities were given importance. Good
manners and discipline were also taught to
the students.

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 The Commonwealth Period (1935-1942)
• The institute of private education was
established in order to observe private
schools.
• Formal adult education was also given.
• Executive Order No. 134 (of 1936) was
signed by Pres. Manuel L. Quezon
designating Tagalog as our National
Language.
• Executive Order No. 217 otherwise known as
the Quezon Code of Ethics was taught in
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schools.
Education
 The Commonwealth Period (1935-1942)

• Executive Order No. 263 in

(1940) required the teaching of
the Filipino, national language in
the senior year of all high
schools and in all years in the
normal schools.

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 The Commonwealth Period (1935-1942)

• The Education Act of 1940 (C.A. 586) was approved by the Philippine

Assembly on August 7, 1940, which provided for the following:

1. Reduction of the 7 year elementary course to 6 years

2. Fixing the school entrance age at 7

3. National support for elementary education

4. Compulsory attendance of primary children enrolled in
Grade 1
5. Adoption of double-single sessions in the primary grade with
one teacher one class assignment of intermediate teachers.

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 The Japanese Occupation

• Make the people understand the position of the Philippines as a

member of the East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere

• Eradication of the idea of reliance upon Western States
particularly the US and Great Britain
• Fostering a new Filipino culture based on the consciousness
of the people as Orientals
• Elevating the moral of the people giving up over-emphasis on
materialism

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 The Japanese Occupation
• Diffusion of elementary education and
promotion of vocation education
• Striving for the diffusion of the Japanese
language in the Philippines and the
termination of the use of English in
schools
• Developing in people the love of labor

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 Post-colonial Philippines
• Education aimed at the full of realization of the
democratic ideals and way of life.
• The Civil Service Eligibility of teachers was made
permanent pursuant to R.A. 1079 in June 15, 1954.
• A daily flag ceremony was made compulsory in all
schools including the singing of the National Anthem
pursuant to R.A. 1265 approved on June 11, 1955.

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 Post-colonial Philippines
• Curricular offerings in all schools, the life, the works
and writings of Jose Rizal especially the Noli Me
Tangere and El Filibusterismo shall be included in all
levels.
• Elementary education was nationalized and
matriculation fees were abolished.
• Magna Carta for Teachers was passed into law by
virtue of R.A. 4670

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 Post-colonial Philippines
• The fundamental aims of education in
the 1973 Constitution: foster love of
country-teach the duties of citizenship-
develop moral character, self-discipline
and scientific, technological and
vocational efficiency.

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 Goals in education reflect
what society considers as
necessary for survival,
stability and convenience.

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 A study of the history of education in
the world and in the Philippines helps
us see what societies in the past
considered important and enables
us to appreciate the present
which is a product of the past.
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 TO DO:

Why was the focus of education different for

different groups of people in different places

and different periods in world history? What

does this point to regarding relationship of

schools and society?

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