Reformation and Pre-
Colonial Period of
Philippine Education
GROUP IV
Reformation Period
• This is refer to period of deliberating
the people's way of thinking by questioning
the Catholic Church teachings.
• Protestantism rise from the scene.
• As man tries to question his faith to God,
here comes another way of learning and
reasoning.
• Reasoning also became widespread
through the help of the printing press.
Era of the Period
• A.D. 1500- A.D. 1600
• The Reformation generally is recognized to
have begun in 1517, when Martin Luther (1483–
1546), a German monk and universityprofessor,
posted his ninety-five theses on the door of the
castle church in Wittenberg.
MARTIN LUTHER
• Martin Luther has been called “the father of modern
• education” because he was almost as great a
• reformer of education as he was of religion.
• German Priest
• Saw problems in the Church
• Church believed salvation gained
• from faith + good work
• - Luther thought faith alone gained salvation ▸
• Oct 31, 1517 - Posted 95 Theses on church door in
• Wittenburg, Germany. His criticisms of Church
• 1000s of copies distributed through Germany.
Educational goals
• Education for Everyone
• Prior the Reformation, education was strictly the purview of the clergy and aristocrats, but the
reformers believed that education should be available to everyone.
• A major tenet of Protestantism that influenced their view on education was the idea of personal
responsibility. What this meant was that people needed to study for themselves and not just listen to
the teacher.
• In a spiritual sense that meant reading the Bible for one’s self. In an educational sense, it meant
confirming authority with personal observation and study.
• Protestants believed that education should support the natural interest and abilities of a person rather
than the interest of the church.
• Protestants challenged this view and said education should match the talents of the child. If a child
shows interest in woodworking teach this to him. If he shows interest in agriculture teach that to him.
• To cultivate sense of commitment to particular religious denomination; to cultivate general literacy.
Focus of the curriculum
• Curriculum was based in the arts and sciences,as well as philosophy.
• The teaching method remained similar to the past. Teaching of science always fell to the
use of Greek philosophy to further theological interests.
• Methods used in school were:
Reading, writing, correct pronunciation of words, arithmetic, catechism, religious
concepts and ritual; Latin and Greek theology
Memorization of answers from the Gospel
Hymns and Psalms method used.
Broad & Rich Curriculum with Best Teaching Principles
• Luther advocated for a broader range of subjects to be taught to students based on liberalist study
that taught students to contribute to society rather than servilus education that simply taught one skill
to keep people in servitude.
• He also insisted on teaching being in the vernacular. He believed that students should not be
subject to the medieval tradition of harshness, but rather should be dealt with gently and kindly, being
ruled by love and not fear so they would find joy in learning.
• He also began the tradition of Academic Freedom by allowing liberty and opportunity for self-
expression and questions within the classroom.
Agents
• The responsible for Education during the reformation period was the parents and the
church.
• The reformers taught the parents and the church held the primary responsibility of
educating children under the authority of God’s Word (with possible support from the state).
Luther and Calvin personally started numerous schools with existing churches. Parents
were expected to reinforce instruction at home and church leaders would assess the
instructional process and a student’s progress throughout the school year.
• Vernacular elementary schools for the masses; classical schools for upper classes.
Influence of present educational system
• Character education was emphasized
• Advocated universal, compulsory and free education
• A commitment to universal education to provide literacy to the masses; the
origins of school systems with supervision to ensure doctrinal conformity
Pre-Colonial Period
● Education was existent before colonization.
● During the pre-colonial period, education
was
1. Decentralize
2. No formal education
3. Education was in a form of
Oral
Practical
Hands on
Era of the Period
• The Precolonial Era (1450–1620)
Educational goals
Given the different characteristics of the different periods in Philippine history, there are
goals of education / schools during the: Pre-colonial period.
The focus of education was the survival, conformity, and enculturation by means of
informal education, practical, and theoretical training.
Children were provided with vocational training but little in the way of traditional
academics. Yes, Although the educational system during this period was informal,
unstructured and decentralized as children were only given vocational trainings rather
than academics, there was undeniably equal access to quality education during that time
through their parents and tribal leaders who shared equal responsibility for their
children.
Focus of curriculum
During the pre-colonial period, most children were provided with solely vocational
training, which was supervised by parents, tribal tutors or those assigned for specific,
specialized roles within their communities (for example, the baybayin).
They employed a unique writing system known as Baybayin.
• BAYBAYIN
-is an ancient writing system used by our ancestors even 32~ En before the Spaniards
arrived. Variants of it are still used in parts of Mindoro and Palawan
In most communities, stories, songs, poetry, dances, medicinal practices and advice
regarding all sorts of community life issues were passed from generation to generation
mostly through oral tradition.
Therefore, pre-colonial education is that curriculum of indigenous education which
consisted of traditions, legends ,tales, procedures and knowledge associated with
rituals which were handed down orally from generation to generation within each tribe.
Agents
● Philippine schools were headed by parents
or by their tribal tutors. Stories, songs, poetry
and dances were passed from generation to
generation through oral tradition.
● Mothers Educate their Female Children
- Housekeeping
- Weaving
- Other agriculture related activities
• Fathers Trained their male children in
- Hunting
- Carpentry
- Shipbuilding
• Skills taught will vary according to
their location.
Influence of the present educational system
● Many of our practices in education today has been greatly influenced by pre-
colonial period.
● It influenced the Philippine education to acquire knowledge, skills, and also
develop the correct attitudes and values that would be needed not only for
them to live in their local communities but also for them to be able to play
their own role in and make their own modest contributions to society at large.
thank you for
listening!
