Educational Resilience among Tausug Indigenous People in Remote Communities: Basis for Policy Formulation

Abstract This study examined the educational resilience among the Tausug people, an indigenous Muslim group living in the Sulu Archipelago, Philippines. Despite their rich cultural heritage, the Tausug face various challenges in accessing quality education, such as geographic isolation, poverty, cultural barriers, and social conflict. The concept of educational resilience focuses on how individual, familial, community, and systemic factors interact to influence educational achievement. This research investigated how the Tausug way of life, rooted in Islamic tradition and cultural practices, promotes educational resilience. The study employed a descriptive research method, conducting individual unstructured interviews. The participants included different school stakeholders. The data analysis revealed the challenges faced by the Tausug, such as remote locations, limited resources, financial constraints, and traditional gender roles. However, the study also identified coping strategies such as communal support systems, valuing education for improving lives, and aspiring for a better future. The Tausug's resilient spirit is evident in their strong sense of respect for elders, and cultural values on knowledge. These elements create an environment that nurtures learning and provides the necessary support to achieve educational goals. Based on these findings, the study proposes policy recommendations to enhance educational access, including decentralized education with targeted funding and resource sharing, culturally responsive teacher training programs, scholarships and financial aid programs to address financial barriers, addressing geographic isolation through infrastructure development and transportation solutions, culturally sensitive curriculum materials, and integration of local knowledge, as well as community engagement initiatives to encourage parental involvement and establish community learning centers.