Bilingualism in Philippine Education: Bane or Boon?

The use of English and Filipino as media of instruction in the Philippine Educational System has been met with controversy. History, has witnessed that the use of vernacular or mother tongue was not really encouraged. Although bilingualism was introduced in 1974, this only worked with the Filipino speaking regions. Since Philippines is an archipelago composed of multi – ethnic, multi-lingual groups, the students are not only exposed to two languages but to several languages, including their mother tongue. Therefore, any change in the curriculum greatly impacts on the learning of the students. Today, the use of both languages in the basic education contributes to making the Filipino youth grow in an educational environment that is full of contradiction and confusion.