The Philippine Educational System consists of: an elementary school
curriculum, a secondary school curriculum, and several tertiary courses. The elementary
curriculum comprises six years, the first four years are called the primary grades and the
last two years are termed the intermediate grades. The secondary curriculum consists of
four years. The tertiary or collegiate courses range from one to eight years, but
typically a baccalaureate degree takes four to complete.. This system is shown in Figure
1.
The National Scholastic Admission Test (NSAT).
Before a student may qualify to study in the four or five year programs
leading to the baccalaureate degrees, the NSAT Law was declared. This was a helpful
assessment for the reason that ft limits the entry of high school graduates into these
programs. Those who qualify should have passed the annual cut-off score as determined by
the CHED. Admission in to the one or two year programs (for example, BSC-Basic Seaman
Course) is not subject to this requirement. The same is true for the vocational-technical
programs.
This remedial measure was taken because of the great discrepancy today
of educated personnel reserve and the demand for employment opportunities. In nearly all
fields of educational undertaking, there is an oversupply, be it in engineering,
agriculture, nursing, commerce, medicine and even maritime education. Prospective
students, therefore are required to have passed the NSAT to produce competent officers.
Voluntary Accreditation for Maritime Education.
In 1983, an Ad Hoc Committee was created to draft an instrument of
voluntary accreditation for maritime institutions. This committee was composed of staff
from the Philippine Association of Maritime Institutions (PAMI) and government
institutions involved in the upgrading of Maritime Education and Training to international
standards and to the ideal level possible for a maritime institution to achieve, with the
aid of funds for Assistance for Private Education (FAPE) and the Federation of Accrediting
Agencies of the Philippines (FMP).
Voluntary accreditation of a tertiary discipline or program like the
Maritime Education and Training programs, is a procedure undertaken by a
Government-recognized agency to survey the facilities, management and all aspects of the
educational operations of the institution. This accreditation is done only in already
recognized courses. Government accreditation, stated briefly, starts with CHED. The
maritime program, after a thorough examination and rating directed and favorably approved
by the TPEAME is granted recognition by the CHED. Recognition is unalterable and can only
be canceled if the institution or its recognized programs are permitted to depreciate to
sub- standards assistance from the Government, apart from the pleasure of stature
