From Bilingual Education to the Mother Tongues: Language Politics, Policy Change, and Medium of Instruction Policy in the Philippines
Date of Award
5-2022
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master in Political Science, Major in Global Politics
First Advisor
Anne Lan K. Candelaria, PhD
Abstract
In 2009, the Department of Education changed the country’s medium of instruction policy. From the Bilingual Education Policy (BEP) in place since 1973, the order introduced Mother-Tongue Based Multilingual Education (MTB MLE). This shift was also codified in the Enhanced Basic Education Act, a major education reform, in 2013. This research draws from both the fields of public policy and language policy studies to look at medium of instruction policy in the Philippines and the phenomenon of policy change through the case of the shift from BEP to MTB MLE. Emphasizing the political aspects of both the policy process and its outputs, the study used concepts from the framework of causal factors for policy change and from language ideologies and orientations to understand how medium of instruction policies undergo change. The study used a qualitative methodology involving collection and analyses of policy texts complemented with key informant interviews with actors involved in the change process.
The research traces the rich history behind the enactment of MTB MLE. It is a success story achieved through effective engagements in all the causal factors of policy change. A coalition of advocates was at the center of engagement. The issue was reframed away from language debates and towards educational discourses. Local and international research and successful pilot programs were used to justify proposals. Key partnerships were formed with officials in relevant agencies, particularly DepEd and Congress. External political and economic factors were favorably utilized. However, this success was qualified as the ideal program of MTB MLE was not realized because of necessary compromises and structural limitations. The paper argues for this case to be seen through constraints: material and political constraints characteristic of policymaking in the Philippines under globalization, and ideological constraints due to the immutable dominance of English.
Recommended Citation
Torio, Jose Abelardo M., (2022). From Bilingual Education to the Mother Tongues: Language Politics, Policy Change, and Medium of Instruction Policy in the Philippines. Archīum.ATENEO.
https://archium.ateneo.edu/theses-dissertations/673
