Schools Around the World – Manila, Philippines

When I search for schools on google maps around condo complex here in the Philippines, there are eight different schools within a 1.5 mile radius. This includes two public elementary schools, a private university, a preschool, a catholic school, and three christian schools. Alexis did a research paper on school in the Philippines, so most of my information comes from her. We have seen so many kids going to/from school around our complex – all in a uniform.

De Castro Elementary School

This picture is the public elementary school attended by several of the kids Braxton plays with. The school started in 1971 and the area where it sits was once a rice field. The school started as a series of pre-fab buildings, and has grown significantly over the last decades.

School Structure and Calendar

School in the Philippines is structured differently than in the United States. Here elementary is grades 1-6, middle school is grades 7-10, and instead of high school they have senior high which is only grades 11-12. Their school calendar is different as well. Their school year runs from June through March, with their summer break in April and May. These are the hottest, driest months of the year in the Philippines. Similar to the Unites States, they take off two to three weeks during Christmas.

Dress Code, Classrooms, and Expectations

In the Philippines, schools have a strict dress code, including a uniform, rules about the type of jewelry allowed, and strict policies about not dying hair. Students are also required to stand when they give an answer. A large distinction between structure in the Philippines versus the United States is how classrooms are set up. In the Philippines, teachers are the ones who move classrooms while students stay in the same class. This means that students have the same people in their class all year long.

Compared to the United States, teachers are much more strict in the Philippines. Additionally, they often showcase test scores, comparing students as a form of pressure to maintain high grades. The top ten highest test scores are often hung up around the wall as “motivation.”

Although English is taught in schools, we’ve found that English ability varies widely among the kids here. One local I spoke to told me that a lot of the kids in this area don’t attend school at all, but I’m not sure how accurate that is. The kids in their uniforms are very cute! Uniforms are worn a lot around here. Most stores in the mall have uniforms for their employees. We see groups of people walking around all the time in uniforms and they remind me of flight attendants. Both kids have expressed often how much they would hate wearing a uniform. However, with only one backpack of clothes, we sometimes feel like we have uniforms too!