Raising kids in the Philippines

Hi Priscilla

What I observe here in the Philippines, is the public education system is in need of serious upgrading.  For example, kids graduate from their high schools with poor math skills and an extremely poor knowledge of world history and geography. 
It is impossible for a high school grad in the Philippines to attend 1st year of any major foreign university.   The standards of graduation are simply extremely poor.
Therefore, unless you can afford private tutoring, your kid will not be well educated here in the Philippines by any international standards.
I recognize improvements are in the works with secondary education now including grades 11 and 12, but there is a steep uphill climb to get the teachers better educated as well as new course structuring for the students.   I feel so sorry for kids in some rural provinces, who do not even have a scrap of paper to write on.  This, I have observed near Tolosa, Leyte and even in rural Batangas.  In one case that I know, even the local school teacher was politically appointed and barely had Grade 6 education !!
There are many wonderful things about the Philippines and the people themselves are its greatest asset.   If the government could get out from under its own enormous paper beerocracy, more assets could be ploughed into  outlying schools where teachers, buildings, electricity, computers etc. are needed most of all  !
Having said all this, I am aware many students have graduated from grade 10 public and private schools and successfully entered local colleges.  These students graduate with various prestigious degrees and generally find employment here in the Philippines.  My point is  that perhaps millions of kids just do not get the chance they deserve and only if you are fairly wealthy or living in decent neighborhoods, will your kids get any sort of education  for their future.

this is true. even comparing to those high school graduates in indonesia. they have more knowledge in science, general knowledge, history, geography and stuff. our education system is until grade 12 ever since with the average of 19 subjects for senior high school (grade 10-12), while here in the philippines, they only have less than 10 subjects for high school.
let's not talk about history or other general knowledge. let's just talk about the region where the philippines is located, south east asia.
i found some people who don't know where Indonesia is, or don't know what countries are belong to south east asia region.
funny.

The educational system (public and private) is in freefall everywhere in the world and there are no solutions offered to improve it.
We are witnessing the most severe students dumbing-down ever!
Those who think that a diploma is worth something, better think again. Today's college graduates are barely matching the high school grads of the 1960's. That is 4 extra years of wasted time, money and energy.
Schools should be renamed as the 'new entertainment centers' because that's all they are these days.
A place to have fun and where education is optional.

We're raising for girls here in the islands. The oldest is almost 18 and the youngest
just turned 14.
Compared to Southern California where I grew up the Philippines is more laid back and easy going for kids. Less stress for them as far as acceptance into groups of their age.

On the other end of the spectrum, it is a country with little social requirements for kids to hold onto. No real "hero" types that mean anything. Youtube bloggers and the junk on local TV is worthless and only numbs their minds. Add in social media and if not careful they'd be half brain dead by graduation.

I think that the hardest thing we have to deal with as parents is the world outside of the home.
We teach, guide, and direct our kids for good in the home. Rules and expectations with love as well as consequences are taught and lived inside the home day and night.
The bad part is when they step outside the front door none of those principles apply. It is a society in complete chaos where nothing matters except videoke and having fun with not even moral restrictions or guidance.

Parents here for the most part don't seem to teach their children much of anything. As soon as they are old enough to walk, they stick a diaper on them and the little "rug rats" are let outside to play in traffic on the streets completely unsupervised.

Difficult at best and totally frightening at worst. With luck, they will be able to get it sorted out and head to college on scholarship in Hawaii. Until then, it's what keeps us up at night. Who was it that said parenting was fun and easy????