Are we ready for the internationalization of education in the Philippines?

INTERNATIONALIZATION means integrating international dimensions in our education system. It also means interchange between education systems and institutions from different countries.

Are we ready to engage internationally?

Are we ready to accept international higher education institutions in the Philippines?

The Senate continued its deliberations on Resolution of Both Houses 6 (RBH 6) on Feb. 20, 2024 with invited guests from the education sector to give their valuable insights on the amendment of the Constitution relevant to education. RBH 6 contains a proposed amendment which would allow Congress to pass future legislation to increase foreign equity participation and foreign control and administration of educational institutions in the country.

I submit to the wisdom of our legislators in weighing in on the need to amend the fundamental law, particularly its economic provisions on education.

But the discussions on RBH 6 also gives the government the rare opportunity to revisit the entire policy and regulatory environment of our education system and see whether it can accommodate and encourage the establishment of foreign educational institutions to operate in the country together with our domestic or local schools.

The current policy on foreign ownership of schools that allows foreigners to own up to 40 percent of the school is provided in the Constitution. This does not apply to schools established in the country by foreign religious organizations or mission boards. However, control and administration of schools in the Philippines is reserved to Filipinos.

Enrollment of foreigners in any school in the Philippines is also limited by the Constitution to onethird of the school’s enrollment. The Constitution also prohibits the establishment of educational institutions in the Philippines exclusively for aliens, diplomats and their dependents, except through a law passed for this purpose.

Aside from these constitutional provisions, there are other regulations implemented by the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) and the Department of Education (DepEd) that may be viewed as barriers to internationalization.

These include the ownership requirement of school sites, lands and buildings, where the school operates; the prescribed school calendar of government and the required approval of CHEd and DepEd in case of deviation; strict adherence to prescribed curriculum; textbooks preferably written by Filipino authors; and the strict regulation on tuition and other school fees.

Openness to foreign faculty and students

Foreign teachers in basic education need to have the Philippine license to teach, or the equivalent authority to teach in his or her country of origin. For college faculty, they are required to be holders of at least a master’s degree, to teach mainly in his major field and, where applicable, holders of ap

propriate professional license requiring at least a bachelor’s degree for the professional courses. Aside from the academic requirements to teach in the Philippines, the foreign teachers and faculty also need to pass through tedious processes for work permits and immigration requirements to obtain the appropriate work visa.

Getting a student visa in the Philippines is a tedious, long, strict and highly bureaucratic process with several agencies overlapping in administrative functions like CHEd, the Professional Regulation Commission and the Bureau of Immigration.

Impact of English

The impact of the English language makes the Philippines a good destination for international students. The Philippines earned a “high proficiency” rating in its grasp of the English language, according to the 2023 English Proficiency Index of the EF Education First group. The Philippines ranked 20th out of 113 countries and second among 23 Asian nations. The top 10 on the list are the Netherlands, Singapore, Austria, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Belgium, Portugal, South Africa and Germany. After Singapore and the Philippines, Malaysia was third most proficient in English in Asia, followed by Hong Kong, South Korea, Nepal, Vietnam, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.

PH as education hub for Asean region

If the Philippines can address barriers in its regulatory framework, it is arguably better positioned than other countries to become a strong regional education hub in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).

The excellent command of the English language in Philippine educational institutions creates a favorable environment to attract international students to the country beyond their immediate need to study English. Since the official language of instruction in Philippine higher education is English, this potentially grants access to all higher education courses taught in the country.

Drawing on the experience of other countries, a strong political will in the education sector is needed if the Philippines opts to go in this direction. Committed leadership to drive a coordinated strategy is also needed.

Indeed, as our National Hero Jose Rizal said, “Genius has no country. It blossoms everywhere. Genius is like the light, the air. It is the heritage of all.”

The author regularly holds The Legal Mind Executive Sessions for teachers and school administrators. Email info@estradaaquino.com.