The Builders' School

Progressive education in the Philippines dates back to the early 1980's when a few educators schooled in the United States transplanted the ideas of Jean Piaget, Jerome Bruner and John Dewey  by establishing progressive preschools.  This was also a time in our history when civil society started emerging as non government organizations were being formed to take action in order to transform Philippine government and society.   Parents in development work started questioning whether indeed  schools are developing their children into citizens who are critical thinkers, civic-oriented and capable of changing the status quo.  
 

Parents turned to professionals from these fields as they witnessed their children being weeded out of the mainstream school system.  Parents and educators equally searched for a better alternative to existing private schools.  Clearly, progressive education in the Philippines came to be in response to the changing times and call for  social transformation at the grassroots level. 

Progressive education then was advocated in  UP Child Development Center, Ateneo Early Childhood Center, and quite uniquely in Community of Learners.  Later on there came other schools such as The Learning Tree and Cahbriba. Progressive education spread into daycare centers  set up  by people's organizations and non government organizations.

By the 1990's, the progressive philosophy carved its space in our educational system, specifically in preschool education where developmentally appropriate practices and learner-centered approaches lend itself naturally.   As a result, we have an array of progressive preschools which present themselves to be better alternatives to other big  private schools. Still others remain  at crossroads gradually unlearning hard held  beliefs about schooling and its purposes.

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Parents continue to take their chances in progressive schools as they witnessed their children's growth and love for schooling flourish.  Some parents have seriously and bravely considered progressive schools for their elementary grade children.

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Indeed, progressive schools in the Philippines have come a long way and continue to advocate for a different way to teach and learn.  Here we are now...a growing network: The Raya School (Fairview), Nest (QC), Create and Learning Paths (Paranaque), Brainworks School (Cainta & Davao), and The Builders' School (Proj 4).

These pioneer progressive grade schools have stood the test of time successfully graduating students  who were  equally able to adjust and cope as they  mainstreamed into bigger high schools and academic driven universities.  

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But how does learning in progressive schools happen anyways? Read more here...