For anybody with children, one of the major concerns when moving to a new place is the quality of the schools. Let’s face it, education is very important, and a good education is the only thing that sets our kids apart and enables them to get good employment as they enter adulthood.
Because of this, giving my kids a good education was something that I looked into carefully before deciding to move to the Philippines. After all, when I moved here, I had three kids at the ages of 8 years old, 5 years old, and one month old! At those ages, eduction has to be considered.
The thing that you should keep in mind if this is a consideration for you is that there are schools of any quality level available here. Public schools in the Philippines, in my opinion, are not to be considered. The quality of education at most public schools here is not very good. They lack text books – many kids have to share, or use photocopies of textbooks! We always read in the newspapers about public school teachers who have gone months without being paid. If somebody is working months with no pay, how good of a job do you think they are continuing to do? It’s not that I have anything against any school teachers here, but rather it is the government that fails to allot adequate resources for the education of the children in public schools.
Luckily, there are a wide variety of private schools available in any town in the Philippines. Private schools are available for any budget you can imagine. I choose to send my children to Ateneo de Davao, which is, in my opinion, the best private school in Davao City. It is a school operated by the Catholic Church, and while I am not Catholic myself, Children of any religion are welcome. The quality of education in the Ateneo system (they have schools all around the Philippines) is excellent. Most people here consider the cost of Ateneo to be quite high, but they also think it is worth the cost. For me, I consider it quite affordable. I have three kids in Ateneo de Davao, and the cost is about $1,200 per year for each student. So, less than $150 per month. I consider it a steal. When I compare the education level of my kids compared to their cousins in the States, I feel my kids are ahead. That’s a good feeling!
By the way, did you know that in the Philippines, there is only 10 years of school as opposed to 12 in the States? That’s right. The kids are in elementary school from 1st through 6th grade, then enter high school for 4 years. There is no middle school, junior high, or whatever it is called in your district. The kids to go for a longer school day, though. My kids are at school by 7am, and get home around 4pm or so.
You picked one of the best school systems in the country, Bob! And I agree with you that your kids can compete with their cousins who are educated in the US. With my exposure to the public school system in the US I wish that american children will value their education and more importantly, show positive behavior in the class. They seem to take things for granted. If only they know how children from poor countries struggle to get a good education… As always, thanks for showcasing Mindanao.
Hi Jul – thanks for visiting this blog too! I agree with you, kids in the States don't appreciate the excellent schools there. I guess I can't blame them, they know nothing different! It would be good if kids at maybe 13 or 14 could take a trip to places like Mindanao or other areas where people struggle. It would open their eyes to what they have. Such a trip would be very valuable – worth at least a couple years of schooling in terms of things learned.
My children are in a good private school in Palawan and I've always been interested to know if after they graduate in 10 years, do they have to take the GED test in the US to be able to attend college? Even to get a job in the US, they need to have a high school diploma or equivalent. I just found Mindanao.com and enjoy very much your blog. Thanks
Hi Steve – It is my understanding that they would not have to take a GED or do anything in the States. They will get a high school diploma when the graduate high school here in the Philippines. If anybody has other information, please share it, but that is my understanding. One of my kids is very interested in attending college in the USA. I expect he will have to take an SAT test or something of the sort and fill out an application for the school, but nothing else.
Glad you are enjoying my Mindanao blog!
wish i knew the answer to steve's question. but in my case, i graduated high school in davao and took some college units (also in dava) before going to a university in the states.
it was very easy to transfer, all i needed was my transcript of records from the university of the philippines and papers showing i could legally study in the US (i'm a US permanent resident/green card holder…im not even a US citizen). that was all they needed.
actually, taking some basic college classes here like math may actually save you some money before attending college in the US (like a junior college except in pesos)…as long as the US school will credit the classes.
but the system may be different now or certain schools may have different qualifications needed to get in.
hope this helps.
Hi Macky – nice to see your comment. I agree with you that it might be a good thing for Steve's kids to take a few college classes here before going abroad to study. That kind of gives them a foothold into college life, and does so on a budget! It's a good idea to check that the school they will attend is accredited in the US System. For example Ateneo is accredited, and all credits earned there may be transferred to a US school.
Hi Bob. I do have a comment about the school. I believe that you are slightly wrong about the schooling system in PI. When you said that "you feel that your kids are advance by attending private school over there. Most of the students that studied in PI and go to US are always behind in studies. I believe that studies in the US iare still far more advanced. Especially people that come here to become nurses and doctors, despite the fact that they had attained a college degree in PI for Medical schooling, their degree over there is considered only a 2 year assoc. here. Ive known smart filipinos that have a degree and came here to become a dentist and flunk the board exam like 3 times. So if you have a change of mind, I would suggest Faith Academy in Antipolo. It is a Christian School which follows American Curriculum. We are coming to live in PI for 2 years and I definitely dont want my kids held back when we come back to the US. One thing I can tell you, Im proud of you and your family to love the country of the PI. Way COOL!
Lalen – I feel pretty strongly that my kids are at least on par with their US cousins. In comparing where they stand in their studies, they are at the same place, or even ahead of their same age cousins in the States. Now, we have them enrolled in the best school available, we also have a full time tutor working for us that spends time daily with each of our four kids. Maybe these are the things that are making a difference in their education.
I agree with you, Bob. Your kids are at par with the kids here as I said earlier written in this topic. With their Ateneo education, I'm pretty sure that they'll be fine when they come to the States. They don't even need tutors ! My exposure to the public school system here gave me such confidence to say so.
As far as college degrees being accredited here, I think it has something to do with the college or university the person has previously attended to in the Phils. Ateneo schools, DLSU system and UP and other reputable private institutions have no problem.
Hi jul – thanks for your reassurance on that. I have high confidence in Ateneo myself!
Bob,
Couldn't agree more on the quality of education in the Philippines. As a former educator and having taught school in the states, I'm glad to have made the decision to raise my kids in the Philippines. Of course, the transition wasn't smooth sailing in the beginning. There was a period of adjustment (about a year). The kids kept complaining and wanted to move back to the states. But my wife and I stood our grounds. A year and half later, our kids settled in their new sorrounding, made friends, and are now doing great in school. Looking back now, my wife and I are glad we've made the decision to move to the Philippines. We see the results on our kids' attitude and behavior. They are more dilligent in their schoolwork and respects their teachers. Those values are almost non-existent in the states. Till next time….
Hi Julius – Thanks for your input. Coming from a former educator it gives a lot of assurance that we are doing the right thing! Good luck to you and your family! By the way, were in the Philippines do you live?
Bob,
It's just outside of Manila (I can't disclose for security reason for my family, Bob. I hope you understand). We lived in the Philippines between 94-96, Things didn't work out financially and we had no choice but to go back to the states to make and save money. Ten years later, we're making a go of it again in the Philippines. I got tired of what I called a "Programmed Life" in a developed country like the U.S. Someone at the top already knows how much you're going to make, how much you're going to pay on taxes, and what you're going to be left with when you grow old. My worse fear is growing old and waiting to die in some God-forsaken nursing home because my own kids don't have enough time to take me in their household, since they're too busy trying to chase the "Amercan Dream".
The Philippines today is what the U.S. was in the beginning of the 20th century. Most Third World Countries, like the Philippines, are full of promises and opportunities. The rules are vague, therefore leaving room for interpretations. Just like the game of power, whoever has the most toys win. I'd like to take that a step further: whoever has creativity, flexibility, and the spirit of adventure also wins. It's not like that in the states anymore. The rules are set by the super-rich, and everyone else (middle-class) that lives there play by those rules. Of course, someone can argue that they're still better off than Third World Countries because they have their job, house, car, college fund for the kids, retirement, and etc. But all that is a modern form of slavery because you have to literally work till you drop dead or grow old, in hope of reaping the rewards of retirement someday. I don't think I'm willing to bet on that because that someday may never come. I'll live my life to the fullest now. Till next time…Julius
Hi Julius – thanks for passing along more information. As I'm pretty sure you already know, I am located in Davao City. I don't get up north too often, but if you come south, please look me up!
I will, Bob. Good-looking picture on the website. You look much younger on this pic than the last one. Thanks for the invitation to look you up. Since summer vacation is around the corner (April-May), My family and I are planning to do a lot of site seeing in the Philippines. Davao City is definitely one of the places we plan to visit.
I'm here in the Philippines now, by the way. I arrived last night, so the jet-lag is still working its way through my body. Our family vacation trip is sort of serving two purposes. One is to enjoy my time with my family. The second is to check out the different places in the country to put in my tour guide iteneraries. It's going to be an expensive and ardous taks. But if I'm going to do it right, then I need to do it myself. I'm also going to create a website to advertise this business. So I'll need a very good website designer (I'm a dinosaur when it comes to computer technology). I'll need to design a very good website if I expect to convince the travel agencies abroad to promote it in their ads. So I have a very big job ahead of me. Got any suggestions? Till next time….
Hi Julius – it shouldn't be too hard to find a good web designer. I have one who works for me full time. There are so many kids going to school in the Philippines and studying IT related topics, they are pretty easy to find.
Good luck to you!
Thanks, Bob. On my recent trip back here, I've had a few friends in the states who are interested in creating websites for their businesses. They've all asked me if I can recommend reputable web designers here who are not going to charge them an arm and a leg to create one. I figured if I scratched their back by finding a web designers for their business, they could carry my adventure tour banner on their sites. Do you know of a good one in Luzon?
hi Bob. just a correction in the interest of accuracy – the Ateneo de Davao, as with all the other Ateneos in the country is owned and operated by the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) , a relilgous order of Catholic priests. I agree that an Ateneo education prepares a person well. I am also an Ateneo graduate: GS and HS in AdDU and AB Economics from the Ateneo de Manila University.
Hi Bing – I am sorry if what I said was not accurate. I said it was a Catholic Institution, but I know you are right, it's run by the Jesuits. Jesuits are Catholic, which would cause me to say that Ateneo is indeed Catholic, but I guess that assumption is not correct?
Thanks for clarifying my thoughts.
Hi Bob!
I posted awhile ago, and got distracted, I know I submitted it, but couldn't find it! 🙂 Anyway, I'll try again….
My husband and I are planning the opposite for my son, who's only 4 yrs. old by the way! 🙂 We're thinking of sending him to highschool and eventually college in the Phils. I have lots of reasons, but huge one is the cost here in the US, way too much. We're thinking, if he's smart enough, he can go to public uni. like UP (bit ambitious huh!). And if he's happy -go-lucky, the more, we're not going to waste money for him to study here.
And yes, personal experience – elem. to college – all public!, I can say that Philippine education is comparable to the US. If you had a degree there, and want to take any board exam here like for RN or CPA, all you have to do is have your transcripts evaluated to make sure you have all the equivalent credit requirements, and of course, if you lack some, you just have to enroll for the lacking credits.
Anyway, any comments here?
Hi Lea – You have a good plan put together there. The only recommendation I would make is to let your child spend some time in the Philippines before college time so that he appreciates and likes the place. If he comes here only at college time, he might be overwhelmed and it could affect his school work.
BOB,
No SAT's my brother Graduated from Ateneo high school he is studying in the USA now. No SAT's were needed only proof he had studied for 12 years not 10.
My brother studied more than 10 years as he took this Ateneo class for kids – this no longer exists as it was stopped by Ateneo a few years ago it's like a Montessori thing or whatever.
My brother did have to take TOFEL. To prove he could speak and understand English.
He is at Leanza College – whatever it's called. Then he will be transferring to University of Santa Clara. Also run by Jesuits.
By next year all my siblings will be studying in US, except for my married sister.
BTW – Foreign students are charged more than Students that live in the USA, I don't know if this will apply to you as you guys are American Citizens. (Those that live within state have cheapest tuition, out of state, costs more, and foreign is even more $)
Also foreign students must show bank statements to prove you have a few hundred thousand $ before you can study, both school and US consulate asks for this. As there is no student loan or whatever for foreigners.
But since you are US citizens I don't think they will ask you for this.. Maybe American citizens need to take SAT's? I dunno…
Hi Cheryll Ann – Thanks for relating your experiences with Education in the States. My preference would be for my kids to study here in the Philippines, but it is a choice for them to make. The kids would not have to pay out of state tuition, if they attend a school in the state where we maintain residency (where we vote, etc – not actually live there).