The Philippines education system is largely based on the North American model: primary education (elementary schools), secondary education (high schools), and higher education (colleges, universities). School attendance is compulsory for the first four years of the six years elementary school. With an illiteracy rate of only 12% of the population over fifteen, the standard of education is high compared with other developing countries.

In the schools, English is the main language of instruction, although Filipino and local dialects are sometimes used - particularly in the lower grades. The literacy rate of the adult population is about 94%.

During the late 1980s, elementary schools enrolled about 9.2 million students. Secondary schools had some 3.4 million students enroll, while 1.1 million were attending the 162 colleges and universities, both public and private, found in the Philippines. By the mid-90's. there were about 11.5 million students enrolled in elementary schools with almost 5 million enrolled in secondary schools and about 1.8 million enrolled in universities and colleges.