The Philippine education system nobody knows
I’m now busy with making exams. In the college I’m working for, students are now preparing for their exams.
I’ve been teaching Japanese Language at a college in Davao City for more than 4 years now. But still, there are a lot of things that I cannot understand (or agree with) in Philippine education system, especially in the grading portion.
The Philippines has varied university grading systems. Some universities, particularly public institutions, follow the grade point system scale of 4.00 - 1.00, in which 1.00 is the highest grade and 4.00 is the lowest possible grade. And some have the grade point system scale of 1.00 – 4.00, in which 1.00 is the lowest and 4.00 is the highest. It’s totally vise versa. So, if you are an employer and you want to hire a Filipino university guraduate, be careful about his grade whether which one of the systems is applied.
However, this is not yet a big problem. Because in a grade transcript, you can usually see the chart as shown below. And actually, this is what I most question.
Chart 1 - Grade point in the Philippines
| Grade Point Equivalence | Description | Equivalence |
|---|---|---|
| 4.0 |
Excellent | 97%-100% |
| 3.5 | Superior | |
| 3.0 | Very Good | 89%-92% |
| 2.5 | Good | 85%-88% |
| 2.0 | Satisfactory | 80%-84% |
| 1.5 | Fair | 75%-79% |
| 1.0 | Passed | 70%-75% |
| 0.0 | Failed | Below 70% |
Now In this chart, you can see 0.0 point at the bottom marked as failed, which indicates below 70 % of accademic attainment. And you might think 70% would still be OK if you are a foreigner. But actually, it’s wrong. The percentage stated here is totally fake. It is a box with a fake bottom.
It’s like this. In the Philippines, most (not all) educational institutions apply a base grade point system, which has a fake bottom. The base grade point is the point that will initially be given to a student even without doing anything. In my college for example, base point grade is 40%. It means, students will automatically get 40% as long as they enroll the subject. Please take a look at the chart 2 bellow.
In this system, the grading calculation will be done only with the 60% portion on the right side. The 40% portion on the left side does not matter in any sense. Thus, the passing score 70% means only 50% atteinment in fact. And more, There are some institutions that give 50% for the base grade point. I’ve heard even 60% is given in some elementary schools! 60% for the fake bottom… Is that possible?
So, I think this system plays a crucial role in lowering the academic standard of the Philippines. What do you think?
< ![CDATA[Thank-you Ichi for that insight into the Filipino education system. I know a young lady who is attending college now in Manila. Although you do not agreed with the grading system; what is your assessment of the education being received.]]>
< ![CDATA[Hello Ichi,
You have presented a very interesting point here. I remember getting confused with the scales of 1 - 4 or 4 - 1. I tried to remember which was which but it drove me crazy. Usually, people knew what their equivalent percentile was, so we just ask them for it.
During the 80s, I was taking up B.S. Pharmacy (5-year) program at the Immaculate Conception University ..... our grading system was according to percentile basis with a zero system method. Meaning, if the exam had 100 questions, one has to get 75 questions correct to get the minimum passing grade of 75%. Our professors told us they follow the principle below in calculating our grades.
Prelims test score .... x% (highest portion)
Daily quizzes .......... x%
Homework ............ x%
Class participation... x%
Attendance ........... x% (lowest portion)
Others ................
___________
Total Score : x% is your grade for the prelim period
The same method is applied for the midterm and the finals.
Our class was also seggregated into 3 - 4 classes, according to grade points. The smart ones were in one class, and the slow ones were in different class. Everyone seemed to be comfortable with this arrangement.
It will be interesting to know if Phillippine public schools follow a uniform grading system that is different from all private schools. Does anyone know?]]>
< ![CDATA[Bob>
Hello! thank you for your comment.
My assessment of the education is 40% base grade point.
I just follow the school regulation although I dont agree with....
Joy Co>
Hi! Nice to hear you and thank you for your information.
Does it mean that the same evaluations were given to those 3-4 classes even their comprehension levels are different?
I mean, the grade points that were being given to the slow class were limited?
I'm interested.]]>
< ![CDATA[Thanks for this informative article! We have put several girls through college and I have never been able to figure out how they computer the grades, or what the numbers mean.]]>
< ![CDATA[yeah, come to think of it, i really think that it's rather un-dependable, considering the fact that students are given 40% free and effortless. un-dependable in the sense that you can't fully assess a student's academic performance per se based on his/her grade (alone.)
although a student such as myself practically would've opted to go for such a system ('cause it's really not that taihen to think about, if you know what i mean,) i would still go for the zero-based system like Joy Co's... i hear in japan it's the same thing. and look at japan now. i wonder how they do in america too... all i know is that they're more into A's, A-pluses and F's than here in the east we're more into 90's, 70's and 75's...]]>
< ![CDATA[Hi Lola!
Thank you for your comment, too.
I also have a kid and I'm really thinking what school I should send him. Where do you recommend me?]]>
< ![CDATA[Oooops!
Where is the second chart? It's gone.....]]>
< ![CDATA[Hi Ichi! One girl is going to graduate this years as a teacher from COC (Cagayan Oro College). It started out pretty poor but a Manila based group bought the school and it has improved a lot. If it is your own child, I would recommend one of the Ateneo schools. Here in CDO Liceo is also good.]]>
< ![CDATA[Hello American Lola and all,
the difference with our grading system back ther in pinas and the US is that that highest score in US is grade point of 4 while in Pinas it isthe grade point of 1. In a high school to lower grades setting we don't usually use Alphabetical grade equivalent but US does. In Philippines only the Undergraduate colleges and graduates are using the Alphabetical Grade equivalent. Of course this differ from one district to another or school to school. As I can see Ichi's school is using 4 points as the highest equivalency]]>
< ![CDATA[>American Lola
Thank you for your valiable information. I'll consider it well.
>Mady
Hi, Mady.
yeah. my shool is using 4 points as the highest equivalency...
In Japan, the Alphabetical Grade equivalent is applied to the Undergraduate colleges, too. And I used to get C minus a lot during my college days...]]>
< ![CDATA[Where I graduated from - Mindanao State University - the highest grade is 1.0, and the lowest is 3.0, and .25 in increment - e.g. 1.25, 1.5.. so on and so forth. We don't have a base point grade. Other grades, if you call it a grade, are INC - for incomplete, and 5.0 - failure, I believe there was 4.0 also - a conditional grade. The same applies to graduate level.
How the teachers calculated the grades were similar to what Joy Co. said. It's basically using percentage calculation - then convert it, e.g - if you get 100% - so your grade will be 1.0. I believe U.P. (Uni. of Phils.) has a similar grading system.
For elementary & high school, we used percentage - with 75 as passing grade.]]>
< ![CDATA[Hi Ichi,
The materials taught in every class is the same. Just a little different in approach.
The slow class is the regular average students, while the smart ones are those with an average of at least 90%. The smart ones get to do a lot of group presentations/discussions on the subject at hand. While in the other class, the teacher gets to talk most of the time. It follows that the smart ones always get higher grades than the other class.]]>
< ![CDATA[Hi Lea.
Yes. I know some elementally schools are using 75% as passing score.
But it is true that there is always the base point grade...
Hi Jay Co.
Hummm, Interesting....
I think the real comprehension levels of the two groups initially were not very different. But the system just divided their levels...]]>
< ![CDATA[hello Ichi,
May I know what level your teaching in the Philippines. Is it K, Elem., H.S., College/University?]]>
< ![CDATA[De La Salle University in Manila follows the opposite. 4.0 is the highest, 1.0 the lowest and 0.0 means you've failed.
:grin:]]>
< ![CDATA[I was surprised that there are other grading systems used in the tertiary level here in the Philippines. I am studying at NORMISIST, a state college in Butuan City. Our grading system is the same as that of Mindanao State University -- "the highest grade is 1.0, and the lowest is 3.0, and .25 in increment - e.g. 1.25, 1.5.. so on and so forth." I attended the University of the Philippines (Diliman) for a semester and the grading system is also the same. The 1-4 and 4-1 systems are strange for me ... maybe because they are used by private universities. Maybe State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) are using just one system ... I don't know.
-----
This is my first time to visit your site, Mr. Ichi. I got the link from the Mindanao blog. I've been studying Japanese on my own for four years now and I would admit I'm still not good (not even fair) with the language.]]>
< ![CDATA[Hi Mady.
I'm teaching Japanese Language at a college.
Hi, Hoop.
In my college it's the same as De La Salle.
4.0 is the highest...
Hi Ken.
I feel the same as you do...
It is very strange to have many grading systems in one country.
There should be united so that nobody misunderstands.
Regarding Nihongo, let me say one thing from me as a teacher.
Leaning other language really takes time.
How many hours heve you studied English since you were a child?
I think that you have studied more than 5,000 hours if you include
things such as watching English movies, reading books and talkinig
with your friends in English...
So, it is very natural that you feel you are not good.
Please take it easy!]]>
< ![CDATA[Hello! thank you for your comment.
My assessment of the education is 40% base grade point.
I just follow the school regulation although I dont agree with… -hahahaha]]>
< ![CDATA[Hehehe. I know yours is 40% base.
I know it because......hehehe.]]>
< ![CDATA[hey im doing a thesis with a topic in academic performance, would you mind telling me where you got the chart from? it would be a great big help! thanks.]]>
< ![CDATA[Hi Christine.
Sorry I fogot where I got it because I got this chart 2 years ago when I have to explain the system to ohter Japanese.
I think I searched in Wikipedia first. I don't remember, sorry.]]>
< ![CDATA[sir ichi.. what do you think are the effects of the zero-based grading system? especially to college sophomore students..please reply thank you..]]>