Education in the Philippines

The Basic Education Development Plan (BEDP) 2030 is the Philippines’ first long-term plan covering all formal education for children from 5 to 18 years old, and non-formal education for youth and adults. The BEDP also describes linkages to early childhood, higher and technical and vocational education.

The plan aims to ensure that learners have the physical, cognitive, socio-emotional and moral preparation for civic participation and engagement in post-secondary opportunities in their local, national and global communities by focusing on:

• Access: All school-age children, out-of-school youth, and adults’ access relevant basic learning opportunities
• Equity: Disadvantaged school-age children and youth, and adults’ benefit from appropriate equity initiatives
• Quality: Learners complete basic education having attained all learning standards that equip them with the necessary skills and attributes to pursue their chosen paths
• Resiliency: Learners are resilient and aware of their rights, and have the life skills to protect themselves and their rights
• Enabling mechanisms for governance and management: Efficient, agile, and resilient governance and management processes.

Challenges shaping reform efforts include declining performance in reading from early years into secondary school, weak pedagogy skills for addressing 21^st century skills, and a decline in enrollment rates in kindergarten and elementary school. While there is gender equality in participation of girls and boys in early years, a gender gap becomes evident in secondary school with more girls staying in the system.

The Department of Education is working to bridge gaps in education access for disadvantaged groups who are not in school or at risk of being left behind: the poor, those in remote communities, those with disabilities, indigenous peoples, and people living in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The BEDP has been developed through a participatory and consultative process. It is anchored in the Department of Education’s vision, mission, mandate and core values, as well as the national development goals and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

As part of its investment in civil society advocacy and social accountability efforts, GPE’s Education Out Loud fund is supporting:

• Civil Society Network for Education Reforms Inc. (E-Net Philippines) for the 2020-2023 period. This builds on previous support from the Civil Society Education Fund (CSEF).
• Center for Youth Advocacy and Networking (CYAN) for the 2021-2023 period.

Learn more