TToday, there are constant conversations about artificial intelligence (AI), digital transformation, and the future of universities. We discuss certifications, microcertifications, and whether traditional degrees still matter. But before we get too excited about the future, we need to face more difficult questions.
Do you even understand the basics correctly?
The unpleasant reality is that the Philippines continues to lag behind ASEAN in basic learning. In PISA 2022, Filipino students remained near the bottom in reading, math, and science. The World Bank has warned of severe learning poverty, with many children struggling to read and understand simple texts by the age of 10. These are not abstract statistics. Those are warning signals.
We can talk all we want about artificial intelligence. But if a child cannot read with comprehension, write clearly and calculate accurately, everything else becomes fragile. Advanced skills will not be established if the basics are weak.
In many boardrooms, leaders are expressing frustration with rising tuition costs and graduates struggling to communicate and problem-solve. The instinct is to blame schools and policy makers. However, education cannot be treated as someone else’s problem. It is deeply tied to economic competitiveness and the quality of the workforce.
This does not mean that the private sector suddenly has to become an educator. But it means business leaders can be more deliberate partners, supporting mentorship programs, helping align curriculum, offering structured internships, and investing in teacher development initiatives. Education is not just a social issue. It’s a productivity issue. It’s a national issue.
If we are serious about competing in ASEAN, we need to be aware of how other countries are different.
For decades, Singapore has treated education as a long-term national strategy. Good literacy and numeracy skills are relentlessly emphasized from an early stage. Critical thinking is built into the curriculum design and is not treated as an optional add-on. Singapore is integrating AI and digital tools into the classroom, but it is doing so on a strong foundation.
Malaysia is also strengthening industry-academia collaboration, particularly in the technical and vocational fields. Universities and polytechnics work closely with industrial clusters to ensure alignment of training with real economic demands. The message is clear. Build your foundation, connect with industry, and then scale your innovation.
In contrast, we often rush to talk about future skills without repairing the fundamental cracks. Every time I see an article or hear a conversation about investing in AI education as the future of education in the Philippines, I cringe as if it were some magic pill. Because that’s never the case.
So what does “shaking up education” actually mean?
First, make basic literacy and numeracy non-negotiable, not as a slogan but as a measurable outcome. Reading with comprehension through grade 3 should be treated like a national security goal. When children cannot read, all subjects become difficult, including science, mathematics, history, and even forming values. We should stop glorifying pass rates and start insisting on mastery.
Second, don’t be shy and get back to the basics. write. spell. grammar. arithmetic. Mental calculation. These are not old. These are power tools. All advanced skills depend on them. Coding is a combination of logic and language. Data is math plus judgment. Strategy is about understanding and clarity. You cannot build a digital economy with weak spelling and unstable calculations.
Third, teach critical thinking explicitly rather than implicitly. Most students are not taught how to reason. They are taught how to comply. Critical thinking is more than just expressing your opinion. It is the ability to interpret texts, identify assumptions, check sources, compare arguments, and make decisions under uncertainty. In an AI world full of plausible nonsense, this is how it survives.
The fourth is the redesign of evaluation for the AI era. If our tests reward memorization, AI will beat humans every time. Even if our tests reward reasoning, explanation, and applied problem solving, humans still win. Universities should emphasize oral defense, real-world projects, portfolios, and supervised demonstrations. Credentials should reflect competency, not just completion.
Fifth, treat teachers as the front line of national competitiveness. If we want better learning, we need better support for the quality of education and classroom practices. The World Bank itself links learning poverty to educational quality and systemic problems. You can buy devices and platforms forever, but if instruction doesn’t improve, outcomes won’t improve.
Beyond policy, there are also cultural aspects that we must confront.
We’ve built an environment that values speed over depth. We scroll more often than we study. We tend to react rather than reflect. Visibility may outweigh proficiency. In such a culture, basic skills are quietly eroded.
Family, school and even employers play a reinforcing role here. Companies can value clear writing and analytical rigor in hiring and promotion decisions. The community can celebrate academics just as much as sports and entertainment successes. Parents may not only seek completion but also understanding.
None of that requires hostility toward technology. On the contrary, a strong foundation makes technology stronger. Artificial intelligence rewards those who can frame the right questions, critically evaluate the output, and apply the results wisely. It exposes those who cannot.
The economy of the future will not reward those who simply consume content. Those who can interpret, synthesize, decide, and execute are rewarded.
Before dreaming of becoming ASEAN’s AI leader, you need to make sure your students can read contracts, analyze data tables, construct logical arguments, and clearly defend ideas. Without these skills, no amount of digital infrastructure can create a sustainable competitive advantage.
Going back to basics is not regression. It’s a strategy.
If you get reading, writing, math, and critical thinking right, the skills will follow. When skills follow, innovation emerges. However, if the foundations remain weak, we will continue to produce diplomas without depth and qualifications without competency.
Conversations about the future of education are important. But for the Philippines, a more pressing topic concerns its foundations.
We can continue to discuss models and styles. Or you can take the more difficult task of rebuilding it from the ground up.
AI is coming whether we are ready for it or not. The only choice left to us is to use it as a crutch or as a catalyst.
If you choose Catalyst, your agenda is clear. Go back to basics and then move on to skills. Build your foundation, then expand your future.
This is because in an AI-based economy, the “educated” will no longer be the ones with the most information. It is someone who can read deeply, think clearly, calculate accurately and decide wisely.
And it’s a race we can’t afford to lose.
Dr. Donald Patrick Lim is the founding chairman of the Global AI Council Philippines and the Blockchain Council of the Philippines, and the founding chairman of the Cybersecurity Council. Its mission is to advocate for the appropriate use of emerging technologies to advance business organizations. He currently serves as President and COO of DITO CME Holdings Corp.
