At Batasan Hills National High School in the Philippines, every inch of space is used meticulously. Classrooms have been divided in half to make way for extra groups of students and there are designated entry points and passing lanes to accommodate the crowds in between lessons. Even the space under the staircases is not wasted: it’s here, below the sloped ceiling, with no natural light, that teachers cram together to plan lessons and hold faculty meetings.
It’s not, however, enough to fully accommodate the intake of 18,638 students, so instead, the school has resorted to running two shifts, with some students starting class at 6am, while others study from the afternoon until 7.20pm. Other classes are held online.
“Based on our five year data this school is increasing in enrolment 600 students a year at the average. So it translates again – another room for next year, another teacher,” says principal Dr Eladio H. Escolano. Managing logistics, from the use of the canteen to car parking space for staff, is a constant juggling act.
The school, in Quezon City, is one of the largest in Metro Manila, but similar struggles for space and resources are played out across the national capital region, as teachers try to cater to the country’s youth population.
Just over 30% of the Philippines’ population, 33.4 million, is under 15. The country is among eight nations forecast to account for half of all global population growth by 2050.
The country’s large youth population has in some areas placed immense pressure on services, but economists say it now presents an opportunity. The Philippines’ demographics are shifting; the fertility rate has fallen over the decades as access to family planning services has widened, and the sharpest decline ever was registered between 2017 and 2022, possibly due to the uncertainty created by the pandemic. There are now less than two births per woman of reproductive age. The country’s youth population, meanwhile, will soon enter the workforce, which could help drive accelerated economic growth.
The demographic dividend
As the global population passes 8 billion this month, the picture varies widely across Asia. While some countries, such as Japan, need to support an ageing society, others with young populations, such as the Philippines, Pakistan and India, hope to benefit as young people leave school and begin their working lives.
Countries in East Asia, such as South Korea, have in the past managed to lift a large share of their population out of poverty as a result of shifts in the population structure, says Björn Andersson, Regional Director for the UN Population Fund in Asia Pacific.
“It is estimated that about one-third of long term economic growth in the context of east Asia could be attributed to the demographic structure,” says Andersson. This can occur when populations have a growing proportion of working-age people, and fewer children or older people.
“As households have a smaller number of children to take care of, the breadwinners of the household can invest more of their resources in each child. Households also save more money,” adds Andersson. This can accelerate the creation of jobs, lead to a rise in productivity and boost the economy.
Several Asian countries hope to capitalise on their large youth populations, but such gains are not automatic. In India, which will overtake China as the world’s most populous nation next year, fertility rates have fallen nationally but remain varied across the country - and youth unemployment is high, at 23%. Pakistan has more young people than ever before, but UN research points out that all sections of the population, not only the youth, are growing rapidly, making it harder to benefit from a changing population structure. A lack of economic growth, below the 7-8% per annum GDP growth needed to generate the necessary jobs, has been another barrier over the past three decades, according to the UN.
The Philippines is in a good position from a population perspective due to a decline in fertility rates, says Professor Michael Del Mundo, of the University of the Philippines. But this alone isn’t enough, he adds.
“We need to invest still in human capital development, health and education, and more importantly the economic productivity and economic welfare of our working population. Because the demographic dividend is not just based on population dynamics, there needs to be some interventions,” he adds.
“Under business as usual, we could actually miss it [the opportunity],” he says.
A recent study by Del Mundo found that only three out of the country’s 17 regions are ready to capitalise on such demographic changes. Higher levels of unwanted fertility in some areas and low levels of women participating in the labour force were identified as barriers. So too was high unemployment among young people, and lower education outcomes.
Teacher representatives say that if schools are to improve student’s attainment and prepare them for work, far greater investment is needed – both in buildings, which are storm-damaged in some areas, and in staffing.
“We cannot give quality education when we are teaching in a not comfortable … learning environment,” says Ruby Bernardo, secretary of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers. “Some schools here in the [national capital] region are holding 80 plus students [per class] and have three shifts in classes – especially in senior high school because of shortages of teachers and classrooms,” she added.
Such shortages are longstanding problems, but they have become even more pressing in the wake of the pandemic, which resulted in students studying online for two years. The disruption has led to noticeable gaps in students’ knowledge, says Bernardo, who teaches the Filipino language. “I’m sad to say that even though it is our language, our students cannot even comprehend and read the text itself. We can see the extent of the effect on the learning of students for the past two years.” There has also been an increase in students transferring from private to government schools due to the pandemic, increasing pressure on the system, she adds.
At Batasan Hills National High School students say they are happy to be back in the classroom: studying online was stressful and some found it difficult to concentrate at home. “Our internet connection sometimes is unstable, our neighbour is kind of noisy,” says Michael Joel T Talacay, who is in grade nine. “It’s really hard to communicate with my classmates because I didn’t see their faces sometimes but I can hear their voices.”
But getting to school at 5am to start classes 6am is a struggle, especially when juggling a heavy workload, say others.
Michael is a student on the school’s Science Technology and Engineering program, a special programme for high achievers, which aims to prepare young people for higher education or work focused on the sciences. Each year students produce a research project: Michael’s project explores whether Indian snake roots extract and neem tree leaves extract can lower blood sugar levels, with a final product tested on mice.
Dr Escolano would like to expand practical assignments more widely. “Learning is by doing. Learning is experiential,” he says. It could also help bridge the gap between education and industry, helping students find jobs. But such teaching is costly, requiring special materials and, crucially, space.
The school has submitted applications for additional buildings to be developed on site, but this will take years to complete.
For now, the school relies heavily on the support of the local community says Dr Escolano – from local security officials, who help keep students safe during the busy rush hour, to parents who have donated equipment. It also depends heavily on creative thinking by staff.
“Here there are no spectators or bystanders,” says Dr Escolano. “Everybody must do your work, the security, the utility worker, because we have a big job here.”
