Ask the average Filipino student what his favorite subject is and chances are it won't be math, For a typical Japanese on Taiwanese student, the reverse wold be true math would be an all-time favorite subject in school and even in the choice of career. Typically , the culprits are the parents themselves - they probably had a difficult time with math and they convey their own fears and insecurities to their children. Is it any wonder then that the children believe they'll do poorly?

Hanging by the teeth
The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TlMSS, formerly known as the Third International Mathematics and Science Study) resulted from the American education community's need for reliable and timely data on the mathematics and science achievement of its students compared to that of students in other countries. TIMSS is the most comprehensive and rigorous assessment of its kind ever undertaken. Offered in 1995, 1999, and 2003, it provides trend data on students'mathematics and science achievement from an international perspective.

In the '1995 study where 42 countries participated, the Philippines barely made it at 41st. In the 1999 study where 38 countries were measured, the Philippines ranked 36th lt edged out Morocco and South Africa, the only African countries that participated and the only countries with literacy rates measured at less than 50%. The top five places in mathematics, for instance, went to other Asian countries such as Singapore, Korea' Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan.

Building a dream

The Philippines has set its sights on becoming a serious player in the technology-driven global economy. We take pride in our American-inspired educational system, our high literacy rate, our unique English-speaking skills, and a highly competitive information software and services workforce.

Every government administration has identified science and technology as the major instrument that will enable us to evolve from a third-world country based on agriculture to a first-world country that is highly industrialized and proficient in technology. To make this happen, the country needs a significant number of scientists, technical researchers, technologists, engineers, and perhaps even more importantly, more leaders to set science and technology policies, start up new technology ventures, and head companies that deploy these professionals.

Falling short
Unfortunately, although the Philippines has a high literacy rate at 95% and a population of over 80 million - making us the 13th highly populated country in the world - there aren't enough people graduating with science and technology degrees to create the critical MASS.

On percentage basis, we have more nursing, medicine, law, physical therapy, mass communications, architecture, hotel and restaurant administration, and merchant marine graduates than any other country in Asia. Science, engineering and technology unfortunately capture only 15% of you graduates in the Philippines.

TIMMS 1999 Math and Science Assessment Results

On a contrasting note, Russia has twice the population of the Philippines but graduates 10 times as many science and technology students. South Korea has only 45 million people yet graduates three times as many. Taiwan has only 21 rnillion but graduates twice our number. lndia has 13 times our population with only a 50% literacy rate and almost half our per capita GDP but it graduates 50 times as many scientists, engineers and technologists.

The government's responsibility

Smart people with strong technical backgrounds and inclinations who can help steer the nation to scientific and technological advancement are not "born" but are
"made." A world-class educational system that taps the fullest potential of the country's brightest youth - especially in mathematics, science and technology - is deemed to be a critical foundation plece. Since nearly 95% of the country's elementary and secondary youth population come from our public school system, the burden falls on the government and the education department to create the curricula, hire and train teachers, and provide the support facilities that will provide the strong mathematical and technical base.