The barangay high schools (BHS) in rural areas of the Philippines were established by villagers to provide relevant education that combined features of a formal academic school system with a nonformal vocational system. Historical periods of the development of the BHS system were: (1) period of introduction and experimentation (1964-69); (2) period of legalization (1970-86); and (3) period of nationalization (1986-92). These stages coincide with national social and economic reform policies. Access to education increased dramatically with expanding BHS enrollments and the increasing financial capacity of parents. However, with increasing government participation, support, control, and finally takeover of these village schools, the original features of the system have been altered and lost. During the 1960s and 1970s, the BHS curriculum was more vocational than academic. After 1986, the BHS curriculum became more academic than vocational under the direct control of the national government. Besides extending opportunities for schooling, the BHS system achieved its educational goals by providing university education to an increasing number of graduates and by preparing large numbers of its high-school leavers for work after school. Parental and community support in terms of finances and services have diminished sharply from the first period to the third period of BHS development. (KS)