ENHANCING EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM TO OUTCOME-BASED EDUCATIONBy: JERIC D.
RAQUEL, MSTMThe ASEAN Economic Community established a single market and production base which allows the free flow of professional and skilled workers among the ASEAN country members. The mobility of these professionals and skilled workers are facilitated by the ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MRAs) that promote the adoption of best practices on standards and qualifications of education in the Philippines (Manzala, 2013).Philippines is the only country in Asia and one of the three countries in the world left with 10 years basic education. This educational system leaves a two years late from international standards making Filipino professionals underemployed abroad as noted in Durban and Catalan (2012). However, the signing of Republic Act 10533 or the “Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013” highlights the shifting of curriculum to K-12. K-12 allows Philippines aligned with other Education System of the world.The K-12 curriculum prepares students to be globally competitive, collegiate ready, and remedial and duplication less of their basic education subjects.
Comparing Philippines to European countries in 2005 and since 1980’s to USA, UK and Australia in the implementation of OBE, these steps were basically has the same procedures to prepare technical and professional courses. These professional standards will be achieved by the use of OBE that provides the Philippine and other countries educational system a road map to achieve the over-all and long term goals (Sana, et.al. 2015) and its been supported by (Llanes, n.d.
). Western Countries, specifically Australia which developed OBE in 1990’s. At first, some of their academic institutions and people were not satisfied of the curriculum as similar to what happened in the Philippines. What makes it very different to the Philippine government is that Philippines have no enough fund to support the educational system as compare to what Australia do.
Australia is part of the first-world countries that have high economy which they can able to support free, high standard and accessible education for their people. Though today, Philippines Department of Education (DepEd) received the highest budget allotment to perform its responsibilities yet the implementation of Free Tertiary Education has just been started to give free access to education and besides, government of the past years did not fund much budget the educational system of the Philippines which results to poor facilities (Durban and Catalan, 2012). Australian students have the opportunity to pick their own subjects for the semester which these subjects are also the same of what the Philippines teachers taught. However, the Sports in Australia have been involved while the Values Education in Philippines.
Other difference is that like any other Asia-cultured countries, Philippines controlled the discipline of the students much more than the western countries such as day to day flag ceremonies, uniform codes, punishment to late comers and others. As conclusion, educational system of Philippines and Australia do not consist of different perspectives but also share similarities noted in Study Moose (2016). OBE provides variety of opportunities, however, concerns have to be addressed (Durban and Catalan, 2012).
Though OBE shows the professional standards to achieve a long term goal (Sana, et.al. 2015) yet to be globally competitive is concerned. The teacher’s qualifications, schools, and instructional materials have to meet the international academic standard which the Philippines trying to addressed. Thus, even the ASEAN Economic Community allows the free flow of jobs of the professionals and skilled workers yet institutions especially in Philippines produce graduates who are not fully equipped of such competitive skills from which they worked abroad with mismatch of jobs or if not, underemployed (Durban and Catalan, 2012). Educational system provides the learning outcomes from different educational experiences.
These outcomes are designed to make use of the higher order thinking skills for the students to practice their future profession inside the classroom into their future workplace (Sana, et.al. 2015).
