CENTER OF EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION
Peter Philip M. Perez
MA in Education Major in Administration and Supervision
Divine Word College of San Jose
I. INTRODUCTION:
Section 8 of the Republic Act (RA) No. 7722, otherwise known as the “Higher Education Act of 1994”, which stipulates that the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) shall “identify, support and develop potential centers of excellence in program areas needed for the development of world-class scholarship, nation building, and national development”.
The meaning of the phrase “center of excellence” as referring to education can be readily understood especially in native connotation as regards to the nature and creation thereof in the statement of http://www.ched.gov.ph which states:
Identified Centers of Excellence (COEs) and Centers of Development (CODs) are higher education institutions, either public or private, found to have demonstrated the highest degree or level of standard, along the areas of instruction, research and extension. A rigid set of criteria, policy and guidelines for each discipline or area of study, developed by Technical Panels, are used by the Commission in evaluating candidate institutions.
COEs and CODs serve as showcases of Philippine higher education. These institutions provide leadership in all aspects of development to other HEIs in their respective service areas. Funds are given to these centers for scholarship, faculty development, library and laboratory upgrading, research and extension services, instructional materials development, and networking arrangements and assistance to help ensure the accelerated development of other HEIs in their respective service areas.
The identification of COEs and CODs are done by discipline/fields of study, and is granted for a set period or term.
And even broader denotation from www.unesco.org which states:
The reference to a center of excellence could embrace a variety of national, regional or international institutions able to provide services at a standard sought by Member States or regions, and a satisfactory rationale for investment in their activity by interested customers.
A center of excellence could be a research or training institution, a university or one of its departments, a laboratory, science museum or library, etc. A national center of excellence need not necessarily be a public institution, though by virtue of the profile of the centers
A private research laboratory or institution having a high repute in science that is seeking to provide help for an institutional capacity building programme of a research institute in a developing country or a country in transition may apply if it commits itself to providing substantial financial support. Indeed, a project proposal from such a body would be welcomed.
Thus, the phase has something to do with accredited institution’s which are able to uplift their standards in a level which are unparalleled by most of its counterparts.
II. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM:
The phrase “Center of excellence” can have varying connotation to laymen, but the term excellent is enough for them to grasp the idea that the said institution is in one way or the other ahead of its competitors or contemporaries in the field. However, the phase, coupled by Knowledge of the real scenario can send a signal of fear to an analytic mind.
While accreditation can be done in a voluntary basis as mandated by DepEd, which refers to the process leading to the issuance of certificate of accreditation by the Federation of Accrediting Association of the Philippine member agencies (Ulpiano Sarmiento, 2011), there still remains a fear inducing factor knowing that the accredited institutions in the country are not so huge in numbers as compared with the non-accredited ones. Taking the report of www.ched.gov.ph for instance as regards to accredited schools:
| University of the Philippines-Diliman | COE | Information Technology |
| Biology | ||
| Chemistry | ||
| Geology | ||
| Marine Science | ||
| Mathematics | ||
| Molecular Biology | ||
| Physics | ||
| Statistics | ||
| University of the Philippines-Los Baños | COE | Agriculture |
| Agricultural Engineering | ||
| Forestry | ||
| Veterinary Medicine | ||
| Information Technology | ||
| Biology | ||
| Chemistry | ||
| Mathematics | ||
| COD | Statistics | |
| Environmental Science | ||
| University of the Philippines-Manila | COE | Nursing |
| Medicine | ||
| De La Salle University-Manila | COE | Information Technology |
| Biology | ||
| Chemistry | ||
| Mathematics | ||
| Physics | ||
| Teacher Education | ||
| COD | Chemical Engineering | |
| Computer Engineering | ||
| Electronics & Communication Eng’g. | ||
| Civil Engineering | ||
| Industrial Engineering | ||
| Mechanical Engineering | ||
| Ateneo de Manila University-Quezon City | COE | Business Administration Education |
| Entrepreneurship Education | ||
| Information Technology | ||
| Chemistry | ||
| Mathematics | ||
| Physics | ||
| COD | Biology | |
| Environmental Science | ||
| University of Santo Tomas-Manila | COE | Nursing |
| Medicine | ||
| Biology | ||
| Chemistry | ||
| Teacher Education | ||
| COD | Chemical Engineering | |
| Electronics & Communication Eng’g. | ||
| Civil Engineering | ||
| Electrical Engineering | ||
| Industrial Engineering | ||
| Mechanical Engineering | ||
| Physical Therapy | ||
| Biology | ||
| Mapua Institute of Technology-Manila | COD | Computer Engineering |
| Electronics & Communication Eng’g. | ||
| Civil Engineering | ||
| Sanitary Engineering | ||
| Electrical Engineering | ||
| Industrial Engineering | ||
| Mechanical Engineering | ||
| Mapua Institute of Technology-Makati | COD | Information Technology |
| Technological Institute of the Philippines-Manila | COD | Information Technology |
| Computer Engineering | ||
| Technological Institute of the Philippines-Quezon City | COD | Information Technology |
| Computer Engineering | ||
| Civil Engineering | ||
| Adamson University-Manila | COD | Computer Engineering |
| Industrial Engineering | ||
| Asia Pacific College-Makati | COE | Information Technology |
| COD | Computer Engineering | |
| Centro Escolar University-Manila | COD | Business Administration Education |
| COE | Teacher Education | |
| Far Eastern University-East Asia College-Manila | COD | Information Technology |
| Lyceum Northwestern University | COD | Phamacy Education |
| Philippine Normal University-Manila | COE | Teacher Education |
| University of the East-Manila | COD | Information Technology |
| University of the East-Ramon Magsaysay Mem. Med. Center-QC | COE | Nursing |
Here, we can gauge that, the institutions mentioned above are just the key higher education institutions in the land; and, although it is but common sense that there are still other accredited agencies, it is but true that they are less in numbers than those of non-accredited institutions. Thus, if accreditation will be the basis for the standards of learning that affects the public’s educability, most of us will belong to the losing side; meaning had attained lower quality of education. And if such will be the case caste, classes and strata will be the inevitable result of which in the society.
III. OBJECTIVES:
- To foster quality learning to all citizens; which will lead to social equity.
IV. ALTERNATIVE COURSES OF ACTION/DISCUSSION:
- Optimize funding of all learning institutions.
- The concerned individuals thru writing must invoke the help of higher ranking officials of the land, particularly the legislators to pursue an even more ambitious funding scheme for the education sector.
- Budget due to other unnecessary expenditures which the government can do without must be shifted to the education sectors through legislation.
- Make measures on the facilitation of assistance to the private education sectors.
V. RECOMMENDATION:
The government must, through the merit of need, increase the budget of the Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education, TESDA among other institutions of higher learning in the land and insure through legislation, optimum use of such funds.
VI. REFERENCES:
Centers of Excellence / Centers of Development. http://www.ched.gov.ph/index.php/projects-programs/projects/centers-of-excellence-centers-of-development/
Center of Excellence. http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/science-technology/basic-sciences/international-basic-sciences-programme/center-of-excellence/
Ulpiano Sarmiento, 2011. Compendiumof the Education Legislation for Private Basic Education. Fund Assistance for Private Education.
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