Case studies of the effectivity of the O.B. Montessori Pagsasarili system for basic education

(Part II of ‘What is ALS?’)

The ten-year-old O.B. Montessori Pagsasarili project servicing eight preschools between 1986-1996 in the slum areas of Metro Manila was objectively analyzed and synthesized. It was then identified as a mature and tested educational technology, that can be widely disseminated, regularized or institutionalized in the educational system. By 1990 DECS-BEE conducted a UNESCO funded “No-Dropout” Scheme using the Pagsasarili Preschool program for first graders at the Bagong Bayan Elementary School of Dasmariñas, Cavite, comparing it with the Bee “Minimum Learning Competence” primary school curriculum.

The 75-page documentation entitled “Helping People Help Themselves – A Case Study on the O.B. Montessori Pagsasarili Projects” was done by Dr. Eligio Barsaga, head of the Research Department of South East Asian Ministers of Education Organizations Regional Center for Innovation and Technology (SEAMEO–INNOTECH). Dr. Barsaga also coordinated major projects of DECS funded by the IMF and the World Bank such as the Task Force on Basic Education of 1993-1994, wherein he was its Program Director and chaired its Evaluation and Monitoring Committee. The World Bank commissioned him as well to do a survey of Early Childhood Education. (Dr. Barsaga’s research will be described on Part III of this series.)

The Bagong Bayan “No Dropout” scheme for primary school

The 1990 UNESCO funded search for a “No Dropout” scheme compared the use of the Minimum Learning Competence (MLC) curriculum of the Bureau of Elementary Education (BEE) Grade I of the model Cavite Central School and the OB Montessori Pagsasarili preschool curriculum in the Grade I class of Dasmariñas Bagong Bayan Elementary School in Cavite. It was supervised by then DECS-BEE Chief Edith Carpio, Rose Sese, Region IV Director Desideria Rey, and Cavite DECS Supervisor Dolores Orlino.

Bagong Bayan “No Dropout” scheme  

The study was launched at the school opening in the rainy season of June, 1990. The Montessori Pagsasarili preschool curriculum, which is equivalent to the first to third grade curriculum in the traditional school was used in Bagong Bayan. Its twin course, the Mothercraft Literacy Training Program was introduced to the parents of the students. For eight weekends, the mothers (including some volunteer fathers) underwent training in personal grooming and family health, systematic housekeeping and gardening, cooking and nutrition, childcare and literacy. This was handled by two O.B. Montessori teachers supervised by Dr. Soliven. All Grade I teachers from the other sections joined them.

A Grade I class from the model Central School of Cavite was chosen as the control group. The objectives: a) to reduce or help prevent the probability of children dropping out in Grade I; b) to improve the achievement level of Grade I pupils; c) to improve the literacy level of parents involved in the project.

The Bagong Bayan public school building, donated by Germany, had seventy Grade I children huddled in a room made for 50. It was dark since the school had unpaid electric bills. Across this public school was an existing O.B. Montessori Pagsasarili Preschool in the Sariling Sikap house. We had hoped that the Pagsasarili students would eventually become first graders in the Bagong Bayan public school.

As the parent-volunteers watched in the back row, I announced that I would split the class so each group of 35 could attend a two-hour session between the usual time of 8 am to 12 noon. By Monday, unknown to me, the principal changed my plan. Our experimental plan had only 40 children and the other thirty students were nowhere. Pity, I was very confident that each class could achieve much more using the Pagsasarili Sandpaper Letters, Moveable Alphabets, the Decimal golden beads for unit-thousand numeration, Geography Puzzle Maps of the World and Asia, than the DECS-BEE MLE work sheets.

Results of the “No Dropout” scheme

Results of the tryout showed a zero rate in dropout for the O.B. Montessori Pagsasarili group against the 2.5% dropout for the Central School Group. In terms of academic achievement, the results showed that in four of the six subject areas, the experimental group outperformed the control group (that is Mathematics, Sibika at Kultura, Pagbasa and Wika). The difference in the achievement scores was statistically and educationally significant.

The tryout yielded encouraging results. The study, then, recommended that O.B. Montessori Pagsasarili Preschool Program continue to be adapted for Grades 2 and 3 in the school and that the tie-up between the BEE of DECS and the O.B. Montessori School be sustained, even strengthened. Although the O.B. Montessori Child and Community Foundation was prepared to continue the collaboration, it was unfortunate that DECS-BEE did not sustain the project.

Igniting the quality of basic education of K to 12 is possible

The 1990 EDCOM Survey revealed the five weaknesses of the Philippine educational system. DECS, the Department of Education, Culture and Sports was split into three: DepEd for Basic Education, TESDA for technical-vocational schools and CHED for tertiary and graduate schools.

The above case studies revealed clearly that the scientific Montessori   system which has been replicated globally for the past century, was the right alternative structure of education that could transform conventional education to draw out the full potential of the children for K to12.