The QS World University Rankings 2021 is out with the good news that fourteen universities in the Philippines have made it to the top 650 in Asia (where are we in the world?). Among these high-performing universities in the country, only the University of the Philippines (UP) has made it to the Top 100. I am not sure if the plan to defund UP will push through given this achievement.
Following the premiere state university are schools all run by religious congregations: Ateneo de Manila University of the Society of Jesus (number 135), De La Salle University of the La Salle Brothers (number 166) and the University of Santo Tomas of the Dominicans (number 186). This data simply tells us that if the QS ranking is a basis in determining quality education, the Philippine educational system remains largely dependent on the role of private schools. This must send a message to Ched and DepEd, and ultimately the national government, that something must be reviewed with the country’s educational policy towards private educational institutions. This is a challenge on the part of some naïve bureaucrats who are not so friendly to private schools.
It is good news to see that state universities are increasing in number in this field of competition. Much has to be done also in reframing people’s views on the quality of public education in the country. Certainly, we cannot change the way people look at state-managed education if the agencies tasked to run the show won’t also make substantial and significant changes in the way education is being conducted among public academic institutions.
More learnings can be discerned from this QS Ranking. One, it is high time for Philippine schools to be more outward rather than inward-looking. There is this tendency among Filipinos in general and schools, in particular, to compete among themselves (UP versus Ateneo, Ateneo versus DLSU, etc.) This is reflective of our parochial attitude. Most often schools are like budding sari-sari store owners in a small village fighting against each other over a few customers who are all their neighbors. For all the claims of almost all schools “as bearers of quality education” – and this we hear in almost all corners of the country, it remains mysterious why we only have 14 out of 650 in Asia. There is a need to seriously rethink and reflect on our claims to “quality education” and this we have to understand in light of globalization.
A second point to reflect is on the importance of teacher training, which of course relates to funding. Unless we impose higher standards on teachers in Higher Education, we will never move beyond where we are currently staying. In the realm of the university, it is not enough for a teacher to just “instruct”, he must also “research” and engage in “community development.” Sadly, and let’s admit it, instruction among some universities is not only inadequate but poor. Let’s face the reality that some College instructors are like High School teachers in terms of content mastery. And some instructors do not even have the drive to attend their class. Research has been said to be improving but this is true mostly in form or appearance. The imposition of the university research agenda is supposed to guide researchers but sadly it has prevented the flow of some creative juices. It has created confusion instead of focus. The more sad part is that community development has been reduced to mere philanthropy almost close to almsgiving, sometimes we call this outreach. We are stubborn in not admitting that the poor need our push for social transformation so that they will not always depend on our charity. Again, much has to be reviewed in the way things are done in the education sector in our beloved country.
Still, there is a reason to celebrate what our beloved universities have achieved, fourteen of them! The administrators of these schools deserve all our congratulations and support! May we consider this recognition, not as a full definition of what we are but more of an invitation to do more with our potentials till we reach the fullness of what we are most capable of becoming.