THE UNEXPLORED CAUSES OF THE PISA DEBACLE

In Sept of last year, I wrote a two-part article for BALITA about the gathering of “dark clouds” in the Philippine educational landscape.  I couldn’t have been more prescient when in Dec 2019  the PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment ) results of 2018 computer-based, 2-hour test were revealed.  The assessment was administered to 600,000 15-year-olds in 79 participating countries.  We scored at the bottom, in Reading  (79th /79) and second from the bottom (78th / 79) in Math and Science.  The test was conducted in the countries’ medium of instruction which for the Philippines was English.

The basis of my article was a series of commentaries from PDI ( Phil. Daily Inquirer) columnists: Habito’s ” Why Do We Lack Engineers”; Sta Romana Cruz’ ” Why Can’t Our Students Read”; Dr. Guevara’s study of government school’s grades 1 to 6 showing 23% with no reading comprehension and 7% inability to read. The English “mastery level” of high school students was at 1.9% and 14% in grade 6. The government education budget at 3% of GDP ( 3% below UNESCO’s guideline ), does not help improve the teaching situation ( Teacher-Maricel-speaks-truth-to-power, PDI Opinion 6/10/2019 ).

As you can imagine, there was instant recrimination from all sectors of the community, assigning blame to Dep. Ed, the government, and the teachers for the dismal results.  Ms. Monsod’s ” What’s needed for education to improve?” (PDI, Dec. 7, 2019 ) put it squarely on the teachers’ lack of time to teach, student’s lack of time to learn, and poor textbooks.  Thailand, the country we are mostly compared with, in Asia was 11 paces ahead of us.  Indonesia, the closest to our position is 5 paces ahead.  The top 4 are all Chinese: China, Macao, Singapore, and Hongkong. ( Canada is # 6, the US, # 13 ) The results shattered a long-held belief that the Philippines is one of the most literate countries in Asia.

                        The PISA results shook a long-held belief that the Philippines is one of the most literate countries in Asia.

Of all the causes put forward, there are two that did not receive any attention from the ensuing recrimination resulting from this debacle.  First is the dwindling number of good teachers and second, the reasons why our students have a poor command of language.

There have been many studies showing that positive education outcomes are almost solely predicated to the availability of quality teachers.  Fewer good teachers today? In Monsod’s article, Fr. Nebres’, S.J.’s observation that “math performance of K to 12 graduates today is worse than those graduates of the past” is a testimony to this theory. In the two or three decades post-WW II, the pool of would-be teachers came from a steady supply of people whose career options remained unchanged.  But then came computerization and globalization.  These twin “overnight” breakthroughs in the 90’s changed the career landscape of the long-suffering, poorly paid teachers and would-be teachers. New job options arising from technological innovations, Business Process Outsourcing ( call centers ), Caregiving in foreign countries and other paths as a result of globalization, opened up career possibilities for potential teachers.

The computer industry became a magnet for math teachers, call centers for English teachers, and caregiving for other teachers or would-be teachers.  In each of these alternatives, the wages were better, working conditions were less stressful and lesser post-secondary training (i.e. fewer university years ).  As all of these were taking place, the teaching profession was beset with poor salaries, marginalization, and poor chances of migration, one that has always been a big draw for any worker in the Philippines. When Canada opened its doors for landed immigrant status for caregivers and domestic workers after only two years of service,  teachers were leaving the classrooms in droves to be domestic workers.

Another unexpected competition as a career option for would-be teachers is Nursing. But nursing has always been there.  What’s so different this time?  Globalization and demographics.  Demand for Filipino nurses abroad has never been as high as it is today but not so much for teachers.  Again, better pay and migration are the driving forces of this new path.

All of these new alternatives have driven teacher salaries to new heights.  It may have been too little too late. The recent cry for 10,000 more public school teachers may be symptomatic of a bigger supply crisis.

Could a bunch of highly dedicated professionals overcome the flight of the very best into other professions?  The “dedicated” teacher of old in today’s teaching paradigm is not an efficient use of teachers’ cognitive energy.   Coaching sports, leading a choir,  church work, or decorating a classroom will not improve reading or math scores.  Extracurriculars are best handled by volunteer parents. 

Dynamism and empathy are better measures of a good teacher today. “Teaching and Textbooks” should not define today’s teaching. That’s education as it’s stifling best!  The so-called 3 R’s has now been replaced by the 4 C’s  (critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration )  The breakdown of families and instability in the home front today are important reasons for more emotional support of today’s students. Resiliency and tenacity are every bit as important as academics.  I would argue that these emotional traits are better predictors of success.

The one other issue that did not get enough attention as a cause of our poor showing in the PISA test is the question of language.  Many people did not understand why the test was in English and not in Pilipino.  The assumption was that we would have done better with a language that they understand.  First of all, Dep. Ed. was given a choice of language; English was chosen apparently because it was felt that the students are equally capable ( or incapable ) in either language.  Also, the language used in the test is based on the medium of instruction being used which was English.

It was well known that the mastery level of our high school students was at 1.9% ( expressed in another way, 98% of our students do not have a good command of English ).  The PISA outcome seems a foregone conclusion based on our longstanding problems with language. How can we be so incompetent with both English and Pilipino to score last in a standardized test? What makes a Chinese or Korean so different for them to score in the top of the PISA scale?

We are caught in a “language conundrum”.  English is not our mother tongue. Our English usage is not sufficient ( in the current public school system, English as an instructional medium is only mandatory in the senior high ) to take us to a higher level of usage.  The average Filipino will run into problems in conversation with a native English speaker as soon as the topic requires a level of English beyond the ordinary.  Colloquialism  ( which includes idioms ) and “nuance” do not come easily from English learned in a classroom setting.

Then, what about our mother tongue?  That could be a problem too.  Ilonggo is all Greek to me, as my mother tongue is Tagalog.  We have dozens of mother tongues! ( in the current system, the children are taught in their mother tongues from K to grade 3 ).  In theory, all students are supposed to learn Pilipino ( the national language ), which is the option language in the PISA test.  Pilipino, unlike Mandarin or Niponggo, is not a well-developed language that can address a highly technical language in Physics or Biology.  Philippine high school textbooks are in English.  By comparison, Japanese textbooks are written in the three official languages ( or “characters” ), kanji, hiragana, or katakana.  There is a far more rigorous process of evaluation  ( up to 3 years ) before a textbook is finally approved for use in a Japanese classroom. Filipino textbook errors are legendary  ( .eg.  ” banana rice tereces “, can you spot the three errors in that phrase? )

An academic supervisor writes: “The 363-page Grade 3 “English Learner’s Material” written by 15 “authors” and reviewed by three “reviewers” has 430 errors, while the Grade 3 “Araling Panlipunan Learner’s Material” written by Manalo, Capunitan, Galarosa, and Sampang — a veritable joke book that is so funny simply because of its sheer stupidity — contains 1,308 errors!”

                      ”  The government, which wants to hasten the production of people, is responsible for erecting streets and piers for airplanes and ships.” … a sentence in a Filipino textbook.


Solution? We have what we call “Taglish”.  But we have no Taglish textbooks.  Taglish is a form of “Pidgin English” ( or Pidgin Pilipino )  that became common because our so-called national language is not developed enough to address contemporary communication.  About the only time we hear a semblance of pure Pilipino is in newscasts ( but still with some Taglish )or in the movies.  The average Filipino is not conversant in such a language.  I have yet to converse with anyone talking in pure Pilipino.  Either we speak in English or Taglish ( or in a regional dialect ).  If you want to hear what it sounds like or how effective it is, just hear the president ( Duterte, that is ) speak on TV. He uses a mixture of English, Taglish, and his regional dialect.  You be the judge whether it’s an effective language in which to communicate.

As Canadians, our two official languages give us a front seat in a constant French-English-French translation.  You don’t have to have command of the two languages to notice that there is little bleeding of words from one language to the other.  Each is fully developed to address the demands of modern communication.  (French being an older language, probably shows up more as part of the English language )

Faced with a convoluted language conundrum, we can have a better understanding of how our fifteen-year-olds could have difficulty passing a PISA test.

In addition to a structural language problem, you have to have a skillful teacher to teach it and /or use it as a medium in such a way as a student comprehends lessons sufficiently to pass PISA.  Our system is failing on both counts.

We can go on and on with the inadequacies of classroom methodology and teacher training but for now, we can begin by paying teachers a living wage to keep them in the profession.  As for the language problem, we have to decide what medium ( of school instruction ) is best, one that will serve our national goals.  Once we have decided, it is best to use it from K to 12.  Only then will we have any chance of being good at it. And only then we can expect to be competitive in another PISA showdown.

Let us also remind ourselves that PISA results while only the tip of the iceberg, is a profound window of what a future generation of Filipinos is facing competing with our Asian counterparts.  We are quickly building a reputation unlike the generation of doctors, engineers, and teachers that opened the West for the rest of us.  We are farther and farther away from a homegrown Tesla or Microsoft.

With so much resting on good education and lack of good teachers to provide it …and now the additional burden of an interminable pandemic, what do we have in our cultural and genetic DNA to weather it all?

welcome, edwingdeleon@gmail.com