When we have talked about Education on this blog in the past, there have basically been two sides when it comes to the comments. You have people who believe in the education system here and feel that it is “up to par,” and you have people who feel that it is crazy to bring kids here and send them to Philippine schools. I land in the first category. I feel that my kids have had excellent educational opportunities here.
What have we done to ensure that the kids get a good education?
Firstly, we have chosen good schools. One thing that we have found is that the best schools are not necessarily the most expensive. The expensive schools are indeed good, but we have also found lower priced schools that are excellent as well. For us, price is not a concern when it comes to picking schools, we tend to go for the one that gives the best education, whether it be expensive, or not.
Our kids go to Ateneo de Davao, which is one of the best schools in all of Mindanao, in my opinion. Last year, we heard about a school which is actually right in our neighborhood. It is a school that mostly caters to children of Missionaries here, mostly Americans. The teachers are all foreigners too, mostly Americans, and they even teach things like American History and such. I was interested to learn more, so we went there for a visit. First thing we found out was that for a non-Missionary who wants to send their kids to school there it is very expensive. If the parents are Missionaries, the cost is much less. In our case, they wanted $12,000+ per kid for one year’s worth of education! Compare that to Ateneo, which is less than $1,000 per year, and it’s quite a shock to hear the $12,000 figure!
When we compared the two schools, we came to the conclusion that the educational quality of Ateneo was at least as good as that of the Missionary school, so we did not move our kids!
Another thing that we did is something that would almost be impossible to do in the States, unless you were wealthy. When AJ (my second son) was in 1st Grade, he went to a tutoring center called Blue Advantage after school for one hour of one on one tutoring. This gave him a chance to reinforce the lessons he had in school, and take care of his homework assignments with a certified teacher helping him. By the end of his 1st Grade year, we got to know his tutor very well, and we ended up hiring her on a full time basis to teach at our house! Chris, our oldest son is mentally retarded, and the Tutor teaches him a half day every day in practical subjects that will improve his life. When the other 3 kids get home from school, they each get one hour of one on one individual tutoring.
Having a “personal tutor” working in our home has turned out to be a wonderful experience, and very rewarding for our kids. Having this kind of service in the USA would have been cost prohibitive for us. So, always keep in mind that if you are thinking of moving over here with kids, there are plenty of things you can do to ensure that the education the kids are getting is a good one!
Bob,
Thanks for raising this topic with some specific examples of your experiences in Davao. I'm familiar with the Ateneo school and have heard about how expensive the school for missionaries is, but didn't know missionaries had reduced tuition. What do you know about opportunities for ex-pats to do volunteer work at schools? I have degrees in Geology and Hydrology but currently I teach physics. My wife says I could teach at the University level if I wanted (really?). I've heard one story of ex-pat who was deported because he volunteered at a school. Even though he wasn’t paid he was deported on the grounds that his volunteer work took a job away from a Filipino. In a way I understand, but deportation?
Hi Jon – Yep, I've heard the same thing about foreigners volunteering their skills at local schools. They are deemed to be taking away jobs from Filipinos, and many have indeed been deported for that. It's a real shame, they are only trying to help. I don't know if you can do something to get special permission to teach like that, but I tend to doubt it.
First things first. i have no idea of the circumstances of the particular individual who was supposed to be deported, but if he was on a tourist visa the same thing might have happened to him in the US. You can not work … paid or unpaid … on a tourist visa in either country. Had he been on a 13-series permanent resident visa I doubt he could have gotten in trouble, because permanent residents may work, even for pay, under the laws of the Philippines. It's important to keep in mind that in virtually all countries "tourist' means just that in a very strict sense.
I am glad, Bob, that you brought up this subject. Especially the Ateneo university system. (Go Blue!!) I have a nephew who is teaching at the elementary level in Ateneo de Manila as he finishes his Masters from AdM. It's a great school system and they provide affordable education from preschool thru the Doctoral level. For those who are "enthusiastically" anti-Catholic you might want to look into Silliman University system, founded by Presbyterian missionaries who operates at least 7 "centers for excellence" throughout the Philippines.
Your example of the private teacher/tutor is one more expats should look into. If folks want a truly "US curriculum" for their children there are a number of accredited home schooling programs they could look into and then hire a qualified teacher to do the day to day lesson work. Personally, I think the educational opportunities for children are great here in the Philippines.
Hi Dave – I neglected to mention how much I pay the tutor. It's less than $200 per month. One of her benefits is that she has several hours between the time she tutors Chris, and when the other kids come home from school. She uses this time to study for her Mastoral degree which she is pursuing. I allow her to use one of my computers, and free use of the Internet for her studies. It is an arrangement that has worked out very well. She has been with us for over 4 years now.
Another option for expats who do not wish to use the school system in the Philippines is to have their child use an online elementary or high school. There are many accredited choices for students now.
As it happens, I am a bit of an expert on the subject (See Best Online High Schools and my latest book, Complete Guide to Online High Schools: Distance learning options for teens & adults, and, for that matter, the other books that I have written on the subject).
Going to school online, whether for k-12 or for college, is an option that many expats have chosen for themselves or their children. The one thing you do need is a reliable, usually high-speed, connection.
Tom Nixon
Hi Tom – Thank you so much for sharing that. I knew nothing about online education for kids! Of course, it has become popular for college, but for high school and below, it's all new to me!
Great article again Bob. Is the instruction at Ateneo in English, Tagalog, or Bisaya? If all teaching is done in English at the missionary school, I personally would think that a drawback, I would want my children to spend their school days speaking the local language as much as possible. By the way, along the lines of online education. Florida State University has now made their major in computer science completely available online. A computer science major is different, more rigorous than the typical "IT" stuff one normally finds online.
Hi Kevin K – Thanks for your input. Personally, I think it would be a mistake to go for a school that teaches in the local dialect (actually, schools cannot legally teach in Bisaya). The reason is that your kids will get plenty of practice in Bisaya (if you live in the Visayas or Mindanao) or Tagalog (in Luzon primarily) when they are at recess, when they play with friends and such. The thing they need is English! Probably the only time they will speak much English is when they talk to you, and they need more than that to maintain good English skills. Those skills can be very important in their adult years when they need a good job.
To answer your question, the instruction at Ateneo is in English 100%, except for during their class in Tagalog (mandated by law). All other courses are taught in English.
I forgot to make any mention about K- 12 online education. Most states' department of education have set up complete public schools online so that rural kids, or kids that have special needs can get everthing online. I'll pick just one example: Ohio Distance and Learning Academy. http://www.ohdela.com/PPF/category_ID/9__/ohdela…. This is a charter school (state approved and funded). Any child who is entitled to public school in Ohio can do it. The state provides the computer, printer, even reimburses for internet connection. Tuition is FREE. They even have specialists for disabled kids and special education kids so they can get a complete K-12 education. This same group has schools in Pennsylvania and Colorado. They are not unique. A child can literally attend K-12 in neary any state, with the same curriculum as public school, paid for and provided by the state of residence.
HI Kevin K – You and Tom are really enlightening me! I had no idea of programs like this for K-12. It sounds like a really good program!
Bob – It's true, the K-12 online education is really gaining momentum in every state. It did start as a means to help students in rural areas gain access to the same rigorous electives, or even missing core classes, that are common in the big suburban districts. While I was teaching in Colorado I discovered rural schools often didn't have a physics or chemistry teacher, and almost no AP classes. Online education in Colorado initially targeted these holes. But it's now spreading to all districts, rural, suburban, and urban, for a number of reasons. Some students are disabled or need homebound instruction to keep up until they can return to their regular school. Online education is now seen as a practical and cost effective way to offer a district-wide elective or advanced course that would not have much enrollment at a single school, but for which sufficient demand exists within the entire district. I now teach in Loudoun County, Virginia. Two science teachers at my school are working on masters degrees in online science education. I'm about to start the second year of a pilot Geospatial Technology Course (GIS) that is a cooperative effort with the Integrated Science and Technology department at James Madison University. The course is taught in a computer lab and portions of the course are entirely online (because that's where the data is) and there's talk of offering it completely online throughout the state. A few months ago I was asked “Would you like to become an online physics mentor?” I'd never heard of online mentors. Turns out I can take a 5-week course to become a mentor for students taking the online physics course, a curriculum developed by LCPS and George Mason University. The curriculum is in place and there is no single teacher leading the class. It's almost a self-study course and the mentors are assigned to students to provide online assistance and grade assignments using existing rubrics. If 200 students register for a physics class it would be impossible for a single lead teacher to give every student the online help they need. The mentor idea was the answer to this problem, with each mentor taking on one to ten students at a time. A mentor receives $600 for each student successfully guided through the course. Hmmmm….the time difference might be an issue, but this could be a good source of income for a retiring teacher in the RP.
Hi Bob:
Personally, I still favor the traditional face-to-face classroom instruction in the elem and HS levels. I believe that children learn a lot from their interaction with their classmates.
$12,000/year in that missionary school ? That's too expensive ! I can send at least 3 college students to Ateneo with that amount. Perhaps that covers board/lodging.
Once again, you're not wrong in choosing the school for your kids– For the Greater Glory of God —Go Ateneo!!
Bob,
I don't know the protocol for this sort of thing so I apologize in advance if this is not allowed. I wish to contact Jon in post #11 above. I am interested in the master's program in "online science education" and would like to discuss it with him. Would you please send him an email with my email address? Also, when we have a message such as this which is to you personally, is it in appropriate to use this comments section? Should we do it a different way?
Hi Jon – That really is fascinating for me! I appreciate your information!
Hi Jul – Actually the $12,000 was for tuition only! I also find it unbelievable!
Hi Kevin K – You can always contact me through the contact form, by clicking on the link in the header that says "Contact Us" or through the comments as you did.
Kevin – It's summer break here so I won't be seeing these folks in the programs for about a month, but I do think the George Mason University website has information and probably all the application and payment stuff can be done online. I've heard first hand that it is a very good and somewhat rigorous degree program. They offer the degree for disciplines other than science as we also have a math teacher working on the same degree. I'll send out some emails requesting info from these folks and hope they check school email system over the summer.
Regarding online vs. face-to-face education – I used to wonder about this question, until I realized it's not an A is better than B thing at all. Traditional classrooms are not going to go away and online learning is not for everyone, though increasingly great accommodations have been made for different learning styles. Self-motivated, "I am my own best teacher" types, take to online learning like ducks to water. I've found most young students are fine with computers and online activities. They are so involved with texting each other, sharing files electronically, and wasting time on MySpace — if I don't know how to do something, I ask them. So tech savvy is not an issue. I personally like online course options as a compliment to normal schooling, not a replacement. When a course is not offered at the traditional school it's nice to be able to access it online, or to give motivated students the opportunity to take more classes than will fit into a typical 4 years of high school. We're seeing students taking the required intro science courses online. These are the courses the Virginia Standards of Learning exams evaluate for Virginia graduation credits. Even the SOL exams themselves are taken online — at our high school every student without a special accommodation takes the tests online in a computer lab right now! This provides near immediate results and quick remediation intervention to allow them to take an “Expedited Retake” before their knowledge has faded over a two-month summer break. Passing rates have gone up dramatically. Getting these SOL courses out of the way early means these students can save the face-to-face time for the Advanced Placement classes or special electives. The biggest challenge for online learners is time management – setting up a routine at home to complete work within the course timeline and deadline structure. I took three physics courses online through UVA and it took a deliberate effort at first to make myself realize "OK, it's time to go to school now". I would think American ex-pat parents in the RP should be glad to know if they want their kid to have access to an AP American Literature class, they can probably get it online. This would also probably be the case for ex-pat parents from other countries that want access to curriculum from their homeland. I bet the International Bacheloriate curriculum is available online, too.
Good Day All:
Bob, do you know what is in the RP is available for veterinarian degree's? If you do not know, how could I go about finding out?
Thanks
Wayne
Hi Jon – Your approach is what has been on my mind – online learning as a supplement to the classroom. I can see having my kids take a course in US History online to supplement the education that they get here. US History and things like Civics are the things I worry about my kids missing out on. Learning History is, in my opinion, something that is lacking among Filipino students. They learn a little Philippine History (too little in my opinion), but world history is totally lacking. The online classes could supplement that nicely.
Hi Wayne – I am not exactly sure what you mean. They do teach veterinary classes here. Are you talking about some sub-specialty in the field?
Hi Bob: No I meant a graduates degree in Veterinary science. My daughter has decided that she wants to be a full fledged veterinarian. When I was talking with Julius he mentioned her going to the RP to get her degree. So you being one of the most knowledgeable people I know over there I thought I would ask. What ever you can find out or if you could point me in a direction to find out would be most helpful. We were planning on retiring there in about three years when she went off to collage,,, so I just got to wondering.
Thanks Again.
I have friends that are with the FDA who are graduates of RP Vet schools such as the University of the Philippines. If you are a US veteran the VA recognizes Manila Central University. The Philippines have some good schools and in my opinion at par with most US schools.
Hi Wayne:
Central Mindanao University offers Vet Med. It's located in Musuan, Bukidnon, not far from Davao City if the student is Davao based. I believe they have a good baccalaureate Vet Med program. I'm not certain if they have a graduate (masters) program though. UP-Los Banos in Laguna (Luzon area) is one leading institution offering Vet Medicine. You may check the website of Central Mindanao University.
Hi Wayne – I agree with Jul – Central Mindanao University would be a good place to look! Not only is it a good school, particularly in the area of agricultural and animals, it is located in a beautiful area in the mountains of Bukidnon. I can imagine that it would make for a wonderful place to get an education! Good luck to your daughter!
Hi Bobby:
Thank you for that valuable information. She is not a member of the US military but that information does allow us to look at alternative avenues for her education.
Hi Jul:
Thank you for sharing that information. It give me a definitive place to start looking. I will let you know what we find out.
Hi Bob:
Thank you for the positive affirmation of Jul's suggestions. You will get to meet Mira on our fishing trip in Feb.
This is one of the most valuable aspect of this web site. People like Bobby, Jul and you offering information to help others.
A HEARTY THANK YOU TO YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wayne
Hi, my name is Mac I am 11 , and I am doing a school project on the Philippines. I was wanting to know , what do your children do before school ? prayer, duties etc.
Hello, Mac!
I used to sweep the yard before going to school.
My nephew does the same now.
We don't really have time for more duties before school.
We can only do one and then get ready for blast off.
Hi mac – For my kids, they have to go to school very early. They leave around 6 am. So, they get up early, take a shower and get themselves ready for school, which means getting dressed in their school uniform, and making sure that they are properly groomed. After that, they have breakfast, and then wait for the carpool to pick them up!
Wayne,
This is a very late post, but I have a high school classmate who was a veterinarian and got her degree from UP Los Banos. She's now leaving in Seattle though.
I just want to share here that UST – University of Santo Tomas will branching out in Mindanao. Where? In Gensan!
According to the article, it may open in 2011. Here's the link to the article… http://www.varsitarian.com/moredetail.asp?id=3188
Wayne:
Correction: I meant – my hs classmate is now living in Seattle. Oops!
Hi Lea – Great news on your friend! Great news on UST too! Thanks for sharing!
Hi all,
I want to make several points.
One, I believe that expensive school, missionary or international schools, are priced high partly because they are accredited abroad. This means people graduating from such schools have less restrictions when transitioning to schools in the U.S. or Europe, etc. Pls correct me if I am wrong.
Two, I agree that the quality of education in such expensive or less expensive, but high brand name schools such as Atneo are virtually the same. But the "quality" here is questionable, because if you look at the faculty, it is lacking at times. For example, University of Philippines, Ateneo de Manila, UST, etc., all top schools, have, at best only a handful of Ph.D. faculty on grduate school staff. When they do, they are Ph.D.'s from a local university. So, what you have are master's degreed people teaching grad schools. In the states, you don't see too many non-Ph.D.s teaching even local community colleges. The bright Ph.D. Filipinos are either abroad, or working in high paying jobs in corporations. I really doubt the quality of post-secondary schools are anything to brag about. Cheap? Well, there are many community colleges or local 4 year schools where the tuition is only a few thousand dollars. Yet they have ph.D. faculty. So I don't know if it's that cheap either…
Three, deportation for volunteering? Is this really true? You don't even get a fair warning? I volunteered as a faculty at a university a while back!! Further, I volunteered consultative services to a gov't office before. If I knew this, I certainly would never have. But I don't know if your assertions are totally true. Volunteering is NOT work, even though I guess you might be taking away work from a local. Can anyone provide definitive, legal input on this?
Thanks,
Hi Jae – I can assure you that some foreigners were deported for doing volunteer work a few years ago. They were here on a visa that did not include a work permit. If you are here on a resident visa, you should have no problems in doing work – paid or volunteer. A resident visa includes a work permit.
That is the craziest thing I ever heard. Deported for volunteering? My, my. That's just pure crazy. Thanks for the heads-up.
Hi IPPL – I couldn't agree more!