My earliest school memory involves me in kindergarten with my pretty outer space pencil being…read morestolen by my classmate. Well, not stolen per se. I was studying then in St. Mary's Academy of Caloocan City (it was known as Our Lady of Grace Academy when I was in kinder), and this classmate sure was cunning. She convinced me to trade my pencil for her generic Mongol one. I was a pretty stupid kid. PROS: They pride themselves as the cleanest and greenest school in Caloocan City, and they sure deserve it. The place is immaculately clean, down to the last restroom cubicle. Plus they have this huge lush green field (which people are not allowed to step on); We lived a few steps away from the place so I didn't have to wake up as early as most kids. And I have this lunch pass where I could go home and eat lunch at home, maybe even watch Eat Bulaga for a bit. This was great 'til I had to switch schools when I got to high school. CONS: It's a private Catholic school for girls (then, I heard it's a co-ed school now), so what do you expect? Rules are stringently, enforced especially the dress code. Because we know how distracting to the learning environment could be if your hair ties are brown instead of the mandated black, white, or blue *sarcasm font*; The only teacher I remember from this school would be my first one, Teacher Nena. I see this as an indication that my 7-year stay at SMACC wasn't that memorable. Or maybe I just have faulty memory. TL;DR: SMACC is a school run by stern nuns. It provides more of the values that a parent may want from a Catholic education, but nothing really noteworthy in its academic program.

If you want to pressure your child to grow up to be a good Catholic, this is the place to be…read more However, if you want your child to have a holistic education and have an open-mind about theology and other religions, do not send your children to this school. He/she will get picked on and pressured to attend Catholic rituals. I remember having Catholic parents but even from a young age, I prefer to learn about different faiths, not just Catholicism. I got damaged by this school and got picked on by religion teachers. Also, not a good place to study if you want your children to excel in the sciences and mathematics. I remember 4 of us joining an inter-school math competition against various high schools in Kalookan City and we got beat real bad (Philippine Cultural HS won) - that's when I knew their math/science teaching standards were pretty mediocre. The next year, we just held an intra-school competition (freshmen competes with sophomores, juniors with seniors - all from OLGA, now St. Mary's). How pathetic was that. When I attended the University of the Philippines, I appreciated the freedom to think for myself. The church definitely does not and should have a role in elementary and high schools, especially when the under-age students cannot pick the schools and get dictated upon by parents. Elementary and high schools should be secular. Universities and colleges may go ahead and get managed by religious organizations because by then, students are already in the age of majority and can decide for themselves, unless they have dictatorial and narrow-minded parents/guardians who do not listen to another person's aspirations and dreams but would withhold tuition fee monies unless the dependent child follow what the parents/guardians want.

If you have ever frequented local parenting forums about schools, then you likely already know that…read moreDiliman Preparatory School has a strong emphasis on academics. Some parents have even complained the the curriculum tends to be too rigid, but in my opinion, it's just a matter of fit. There are some kids who thrive better in learning environments that are flexible and less structured, while there are kids who do better when given more rigorous lessons. I'm only familiar with Diliman Prep's Preschool and elementary programs so I can't speak for their high school levels. The preschool incorporates the Doman gentle revolution system and Singapore science and math. At this early stage, the preschoolers are already taught the fundamental computer programs in MS Office, in preparation for the elementary level's Robotics curricula. Once your child is promoted to the first grade, you have the option to enroll him in the Space Science program, which is entirely separate for the regular school curriculum. You might want to wait until the 2nd grade or even later to do this though, just to give your child a chance to first adjust to the greater demands of the elementary school before adding to his academic load.

From the owner: Diliman Preparatory School is a happy, exciting learning organization that commits itself in…read moredrawing out the "genius in every child" for entrepreneurial, ethical and global citizenship.

If your looking for the best school you will need to visit here, best in quezon city great teachers…read moreand the principal is very accommodating

There are two reasons why you're looking at an elementary school review: looking for a job opening,…read moreor looking for a school for a child (yours or otherwise). If you're a job-hunter, look away since this isn't about the experience as an employee. But if you're interested in Mayfield Montessori Academy as a prospective client, then you may find this brief review just what you may need. PROS: small class size with a maximum of around 20 per class; legitimate Montessori approach, especially with its flagship classes, the kindergarten department; an intimate and involved community of students, teachers, parents, and staff; Not outrageously expensive as far as Montessori and private schools go; inclusive and non-sectarian CONS: elementary and middle school department is done with a mostly traditional approach, except for a couple of Montessori subjects; limited facilities and space; classes up to Grade 10 only at present; no student ranking. If you want an honor-student kid, tough luck on that; lots of homework TL;DR: Not a fan of big, traditional, status-symbol schools? Need a place for a kid you know that won't learn best in a 40+ student classroom? Go and give this one an ocular inspection and call for inquiries.

UP Integrated School is the lab school of the College of Education, and where most students…read morepractice their internship. Admission is pretty stringent here. They only admit 100 kindergarten students on which 60% are children of UP faculty/staff, and they have to go through an entrance examination and interview. Plus, graduating high school here is not an assurance that they'd get in UP as college students. PROS: No tuition fees plus quality education. Need I say more?; They have some of the best elementary school teachers I've seen and known. A number of my professors even worked in UPIS while taking their masters and PHD's. They're my inspiration in improving my craft as a teacher for young children; If you're a faculty of UPIS, you don't have to pay for your post-grad education in UP. Free tuition, aw yeah!; The kids may be a bit rowdy at times, but they're so adorable! And smart, too. CONS: Class sizes are too big for my liking; It would be awesome if UPIS would integrate special needs children in their classroom. The future is in inclusivity and they should be leading the way; It's not completely free as you have to pay for their modules. TL;DR: UPIS K-2 has quality and affordable education that a lot of people may want to consider for their children.

If a kid has a genius-level intelligence (not just IQ, but in a whole battery of tests), and he or…read moreshe might get bored in the typical school setup, Philippine Science High School may be their best bet at developing and making the most of their gifts. PROS: They provide allowances and student housing for their scholars (and by scholars, we mean all their students); Philippine Science High School - a government school - is under the Department of Science and Technology, instead of the others that's under the Department of Education. So expect that they have a more STEMS-concentrated curriculum, and that they don't have to conform to DepEd mandates. I hope this means immunity from bureaucratic policies most public schools are subjected to. CONS: Competition here is fierce, like legendarily. Heard of that news where a student poured mercury nitrate in another one's water jug, and the kid who drank from it had kidney failure? It was this school. Rumor has it that it was because of a scholarship that both the victim and the alleged suspect were vying for; Science high schools are generally difficult to enter as a student, but this is the motherlode. These are Mensa kids were talking about; Many are wary that the school is located along the Agham community, which is pretty notorious for high crime rates and riots. TL;DR: This is the country's literal school for the gifted (X-Men?). Philippine Science High School houses the best and brightest.

Growing up, Philippine Science High School was always synonymous to intelligent, genius, smart,…read morematalino and all the other adjectives we use to describe people who have very high grades. Back then, any new transfer from this school would always get snickers from my classmates, all thinking that the student must be a nerd and is worth copying from. While all this may sound like adolescent stupidity, it is true that students from this school are more advanced than others. Competition here is highly fierce and neither money nor stature will keep you there along with the best and the brightest students in the country. It's like a school dedicated for MENSA candidates and if your gene pool did not go in favor of high IQ points then it's best to go somewhere else. There's an IQ prerequisite involved here and it's not that easy.

Quezon City Science High School, known as QCSHS or just Kisay, is a government high school right…read morebehind SM North EDSA. It's my alma matter too, so shout-out to everyone who always had to walk by the urine-smelling back side of this gargantuan mall just to get to our gates. We all know how it feels, even the trike drivers. PROS: It's a science high school, so there's an extra focus on the math, science, and technology curriculum. If your kid's strengths lean on these particular fields, and you'd like free tuition (plus the P500.00 or so plus in fees) for the next few years, then give Kisay a try; Academics are given serious focus on this school. Unlike the regular curriculum, students need to maintain an average of 85 on all subjects to stay in Kisay, so you know everyone focuses on their studies. Plus, a myriad of extra-curricular activities help develop well-roundedness and leadership skills. CONS: There's an entrance exam that a prospective Xientian (Yup. That's what we call ourselves.) has to pass in order to gain a slot in this school. And that competition is fierce. We're talking about kids who took Pisay exams too, plus the now-majority of students coming from big, rich schools who are backed up with every tutorial and review center their young 12-year-old minds can take. Talk about "needy" and "underprivileged;" Being a government-run school, the issues of administrative corruption and faulty facilities are predominant, even for a science high school. TL;DR: In the end, it's still a public school. But with the help of PTA and alumni donations, and a sincerely eager learning atmosphere from the faculty and students, Kisay still somehow fares well.

Holy Child Academy is a second home to students and employees where everyone is a family member,…read moreloved, taken care of, happy and safe.

Congratulations! St.Theresa's School of Novaliches! My Daughter Graduated her High School from this…read moreSchool!