Higher education, brain drain and overseas employment in the Philippines: towards a differentiated set of solutions

Abstract

This paper describes the interlocking conflicts and resulting problems of higher education in the Philippines. The educational system produces first degree graduates for certain professions and fields of specialization while failing to produce enough graduates in 'unpopular' fields of pure science, middle-level technician specializations, and graduate training for research and higher education. The few scientists and graduate degree holders trained abroad migrate to other countries, making the shortage even more acute. For oversubscribed professions, graduates seek overseas employment. In the meantime, the mismatch continues.The author proposes different solutions for each problem; no uniform solution is possible as the nature of the problem is different for each area. For oversubscribed professions, the writer accepts overseas employment as a viable option; it is a source of foreign exchange and a natural way of population control. For undersubscribed professions he proposes a system of incentives tied to a period of mandatory service, after which the beneficiary may exercise his/her options.The writer concludes with some general insights about allowing the 'invisible hand' to regulate the process of manpower demand and supply but supports limited and specific government interventions at the right moment.

Features and Historical Aspects of the Philippines Educational System

“…graduates in the famous departments of pure science, middle-level technician specializations and training courses for graduate students in research and higher education. Unfortunately, some scientists along with others who have attained a high degree of education in their respective fields migrate to other countries, thus making the shortage even more acute (Andrew Gonzalez 1992).…”

“…Andrew Gonzalez (1992) notes that no uniform solution is possible as the nature of the problem varies from one area to another. The Philippine state was never successful in harnessing education to serve either the needs of the economy or creating a common national identity unlike its neighboring countries of Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea (Maca & Morris 2012).…”

“…The educational system of the Philippines has a long and complicated history. Probably the first comprehensive research conducted dealing with the supposed medium language of teaching was accomplished by Andrew Gonzalez (1992Gonzalez ( , 1998, who also discussed the educational system of the Philippines and its historical aspects, together with the interlocking conflicts and resulting problems of higher education in the Philippines. Catherine Young (2002) discussed the Pilipino language as the medium of instruction in the country's educational system, as well as proposed an alternative, ideological model of literacy which develops the critical thinking skills of Filipino students, builds cognitive and affective domains, and values their local language experience and culture.…”

The Reverse Transfer of Technology from Sub‐Saharan Africa: The Case of Zimbabwe

“…During the 1980s, more urgent economic realities, including commodity price fluctuations, population growth, environmental degradation, structural adjustment, political reform and human rights, replaced RTT as urgent issues in development discourse. In the 1990s, RTT has re-emerged as a central development problem as evidenced by the volume of literature published on the subject since the turn of the decade (e.g., Gonzalez, 1992;Chang and Deng, 1992;Statland de Lopez, 1994;Simanovsky et al, 1996;Guadilla, 1996).…”

Universities and National Development: an introduction

“…The tradition of academic autonomy partially counters this trend. Andrew Gonzalez's 'Higher education, brain drain, and overseas employment in the Philippines: towards a differentiated set of solutions' (Gonzalez 1992) focuses on several interrelated problems facing many developing countries with established university systems. These problems include the maldistribution of professions between urban centers (like Metro Manila) and the peripheral areas, the overproduction of certain professionals and the neglect of others, the shortage of trained scientists and PhDs to run the university system and a brain drain.…”