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Course: Uniting in Education


Subject: Nonformal Education
Topics: Brief History and Legal Bases of Adult and Community Education
and Non-Formal Education
Professor: Jaspher Abela
Presenters: Connie Grace C. Carlos

Brief History and Legal Bases of Adult and Community Education and Non-Formal Education

Brief history and legal bases of non formal education in the Philippines - History - On May 13, 1977
the post of Undersecretary of Education and Culture, In charge of Nonformal Education, was created
by the President of the Philippines with Assembly woman for Region III, Dr. Felicita G. Bernardino as
the Deputy Minister. Since then a nationwide program of nonformal education has been launched
by the Ministry of Education and Culture involving the 13 educational regions and all the schools,
colleges and universities, both public and private.

1. First Phase- Spanish Regime - The comedia or moro-moro of those days, the duplo,
balagtasan, and the pasion chanting provided occasions for popular gathering which
resembled the open air schools for the masses. While it may be true that these occasions
promoted but a semblance of adult education. They nevertheless served as factors for the
literacy and cultural improvement of the people.

2. Second Phase- Civico-Educational Lectures - Started about 7 years after the implantation
of the American civil regime in the Philippines. The Director of Education at that time
presumed that the majority of the Filipino farmers had but little knowledge of advanced
farming and that the masses in general had no adequate conception of the value of keeping
their surroundings in a sanitary condition. He believed, therefore, that much good could be
accomplished if some means could be used to reach those people of the Islands who were too
old to attend public schools. For the purpose the Philippine Assembly on May 21,1908,
passes Act No. 1829 which provided for a system of popular-civico-educational lectures. The
lectures were to be conducted in the municipalities and especially in the barrios and sitios. In
1912 approximately 422,474 people attended the civico-educational lectures.

3. Third Phase- National Supreme Council - An organization founded in 1926 by the different
political parties for the purpose of presenting solid stand against the reactionary administration
of then Governor-General Leonard Wood. On the occasion of the inauguration of the Council,
the late President Quezon, disturbed over the fact that 50.8% in that year were illiterate,
emphatically declared the necessity of waging a total war against illiteracy. He said: Our
country must have a wholly literate population, because only on the foundation of an intelligent
public opinion can we build the structure of liberty and sound government.

4. Fourth Phase- Period of Community Assemblies In 1932, the Philippines was fortunate to
have for governor-general, Theodore Roosevelt Jr. Who during his administration deeply
sympathized with the cause of the poor and advocated the improvement of the welfare of the
masses. He hoped to bring this needed social improvement in the country through the
community assemblies.

Philippine Legislature, on February 18, 1933, passed Act No. 4046, which served as the
foundation and has the following objectives:
a. To develop a more intelligent and enlightened public opinion
b. To instruct the public in subjects of extreme interest
c. To inform the public with regard to citizenship activities and duties, health problems, proper
diet and so forth
d. To guide the public in improved method of industry, agriculture and economy

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e. To encourage the people of the community to convene for social and intercourse for the
purpose of discussing problems in the community and general welfare
f. To further interest the community in its local folklore, folk songs, folk dances and games

5. Fifth Phase- U.P. Rural Adult Education Projects - In 1935 the University of the Philippines
created a committee called the Presidents Committee on Literacy and Civic Education whose
main task was to organize the thousands of university alumni into corps of volunteer workers
who, during vacation, could undertake several phases of adult education work. By the end of
that year, 300 alumni had been able to teach more than a thousand adults how to read and
write. The teachings were done mostly in the homes of the adults. The program was
subsequently broadened and included additional courses such as shop work for men, and
dressmaking, flower making, knitting and painting for women. Nine adult schools were set by
the university until May 1938, and these schools, taken together, composed what were known
as the U.P. Rural Education Projects.

6. Sixth Phase- Office of Adult Education - Began functioning on January 25,1937.


Commonwealth Act No.80 provided that the objectives of adult education in the Philippines
should be to eliminate illiteracy and to give vocational and citizenship training adults.

7. Seventh Phase- Bureau of Public Schools - The office of Adult Education, closed during the
war and was reopened on August 15, 1945. In October, 1947, however by the virtue of
Executive Order No. 94 reorganizing the National Government, the functions of the office was
transferred to the Bureau of Public Schools. Since then the promotion of adult education in our
country has been entrusted to the Adult Education Division of the aforesaid Bureau.

The implementation/operationalization of the FELP (Functional Education and Literacy Program) is


guided by policies/principles/standards which give direction, flesh and substance to program goals,
objectives and activities.
The following policies are the guideposts for functional education and literacy. They focus on
appropriate strategy and modes of operation in project development that address clientele needs and
problems.

Legal Bases and Policies on Literacy


1. The 1987 Philippine Constitution Article 14, Section 2, provides that the state shall encourage
nonformal, informal and indigenous learning systems, as well as self-learning, independent and out-
of-school study programs, particularly those that respond to community needs.

2. EFA through Presidential Proclamation No. 480 addresses 4 goals in education to help in the
improvement of the quality of life of the identified illiterates & its eradication of illiterates by year 2000:
a. Eradication of Illiteracy
b. Universalization of Quality Primary Education
c. Early Child Education and Development
d. Continuing Education

3. Memorandum Circular No. 71 mandates the strengthening of the NFE to eradicate illiteracy by
year 2000 - for FELP, the policy covers at least six government and nongovernment agencies in the
collaborative efforts toward the promotion of functional literacy / education with DECS and the
Literacy Leading Council leading.

4. R.A. 7165, an act that established the Literacy Coordinating Council recommends the adoption of
measures for the total eradication of illiteracy. FELP is more concerned more on eradicating
illiteracy so that the beneficiaries will have self-learning and will independently contribute to
community development.

5. Proclamation No. 239 mandated the DECS through BNFE, with support of agencies involved in
the Eradication of Illiteracy from the private and government sectors, to provide directions for literacy
programs and activities that will highlight accomplishments with EOI.

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6. P.D. No. 1139 (1977) created the position of Undersecretary of Education, Culture and Sports for
Nonformal Education.

7. The Education Act of 1982 provides for the inclusion of NFE as one of the three types of
specialized educational services intended to benefit special categories of clientele within the context
of the formal education system, the two other services being special education and early childhood
education.

8. The 1995 Mid-Decade Goals for Filipino Children discusses goals, problems, strategies and
needs, and provides special provision for increasing the literacy rate of the population to 96.5 for the
year 2000.
9. Administrative Order No. 116, (2002) - signed by the former President of the Republic of the
Philippines(Joseph Estrada), mandates all government agencies and local government units to
support the Nonformal Education Accreditation and Equivalency (NFE A&E) System.

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