ABSTRACT
Education in the Philippines has long been a significant factor in the country's economic and industrial development. Moreover, the educational system is expected to play a pivotal role in inculcating key Filipino values of nationalism and identity, unity, social justice, participatory democracy and self-reliance. However, the island's geographic character and its socio-political history have affected the formidable task of educating the masses. The Philippines was under Spanish rule a few years after Magellan arrived in 1521 until 1898 when Spain lost to the United States in the Spanish-American War. The Government formally recognized early education programs in 1940 when the Bureau of Private Schools authorized the establishment of 129 kindergartens. In the 1970s, education was viewed as critical to social mobility for the people outside of the urban areas. Self-help programs were initiated to support the barrio communities. Preschool classes in the public sector are attached to the regular public schools and are normally held on their campuses.
