Philippines - Immigr8

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Philippines/U.S. Curriculum Translation

Grade	7th Junior High School	8th Junior High School	9th Junior High School	10th Junior High School	11th Senior High School	12th Senior High School
Mathematics		Algebra 1	Algebra 2	Geometry	Trigonometry	Calculus
Science The science order may differ, but it will be marked clearly.			Biology	Chemistry	Physics	Earth Science
Social Studies Araling Panlipunan			Country-Specific History Consider: SPTSS	Country-Specific History Consider: SPTSS	World History and World Geography	Economics
Regional Language (e.g., Filipino)		*Filipino OTHR FL 2	*Filipino OTHR FL 3	*Filipino OTHR FL 4	*Filipino OTHR FL 5	*Filipino OTHR FL 6
Foreign Language (English Instruction is in English and Filipino in all schools.)	Speaking, Vocabulary, Writing	Speaking, Vocabulary, Writing, Revision, and Editing	**Speaking, Vocabulary, Writing, Revision, and Editing Consider: English 1	**Speaking, Vocabulary, Writing, Revision, and Editing Consider: English 2	**Speaking, Vocabulary, Writing, Revision, and Editing Consider: English 3	**Speaking, Vocabulary, Writing, Revision, and Editing Consider: English 4
Technology & Livelihood			BUIM 1	BUIM 1	BUIM 1	BUIM 1
Oral Communication					Speech	Speech
Fine Arts			Music / Art	Music / Art	Art 2	Art 2
P.E. / Health		P.E./Health	P.E./Health	P.E./Health	P.E./Health	P.E./Health

*Should have had consistent schooling with minimal gaps in education

**Assuming English is at a Novice Mid to Novice High Level

Philippines Education System

School Year: June to March | Compulsory Education: K-12th | Graduation: 1st – 12th

School	Grade	Age	Certificate
Primary School Paaralang Elementarya	1st-6th	6 to 12 years old
Junior High School Paaralang Sekundarya	7th-10th	13 to 16 years old
Senior High School Paaralang Sekundarya Vocational Program Boasyonal na Edukasyon at Pagsasanay	11th-12th	17+ years old	Year 12 Certificate of Graduation/Graduation Diploma Katibayan/Katunayan

Philippines/U.S. Grading Scale

Philippines Scale 1	U.S. Equivalent	U.S. Numerical Grade	Philippines Scale 2	U.S. Equivalent	U.S. Numerical Grade
90 – 100	A	95	1.00 – 1.50	A	95
80 – 89	B	85	1.75 – 2.25	B	85
75 – 79	C	75	2.50 – 3.00	C	75
0 – 74	F	69	3.01 – 5.00	F	69

Philippines Transition Supports

Philippines Education Practice:

Despite being a middle-income country with sufficient resources to support children’s education, many Filipino children miss out on opportunities to learn. The number of children accessing education, the quality of education they receive, and the condition of their learning environment are causes for concern. Many schools do not have toilets and clean water. The number of children out of school has reached 2.8 million (Macha, Mackie and Magaziner 2018).
Because of low investment over the past decade, outdated teaching methods, and limited attention to the development of children’s social and emotional skills, Filipino children lag behind. This situation is worse for vulnerable children, including indigenous children and those living with disabilities (Macha, Mackie and Magaziner 2018).

U.S. Educator Implications:

In order to combat some of the country’s educational issues, in 2013 the government extended the general curriculum by adding two additional school years and making kindergarten through 12th grade required. Although the country has made strides since this time, there are still rural areas that have not advanced; therefore, educators should ask specific questions regarding prior schooling order to determine any academic gaps. Additionally, educators may need to model for students the appropriate use of common U.S. facilities like restrooms and water fountains.

Strategies for Transition

Teachers are often a young immigrant’s first, regular, ongoing contact with someone outside his or her home community and culture. It’s a relationship that can provide the emotional scaffolding necessary to cross the linguistic and cultural divide between country of origin and country of residency. Get to know your students by building positive relationships (Macha, Mackie and Magaziner 2018).
Provide multicultural education where texts, values, beliefs, and perspectives represent people from different cultural backgrounds.
With a hearty mix of creativity, cultural acumen, and professional expertise, teachers can help English language learners acquire language skills more rapidly — and foster inclusion in the school community (Macha, Mackie and Magaziner 2018).
Allow a reasonable amount of transition time.
In the Philippines, it is family first. So whether you are part of the immediate family or you belong to the third or fourth generation, you are treated as a family member. Sometimes, even the closest of friends are considered family, too. Educators should not be surprised if multiple family members show up for a parent conference or school event (Macha, Mackie and Magaziner 2018).
Filipinos are very respectful. They have a culture of pagmamano, which is where they raise the backs of the hands of their elders to their foreheads as a sign of respect (Macha, Mackie and Magaziner 2018).
Filipinos love music, art, and architecture. Educators can find creative ways to embed these areas in everyday learning (Macha, Mackie and Magaziner 2018).

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