The pilot implementation of the revised and recalibrated K-10 curriculum, which supposedly focuses on foundational skills and intensified values and “peace education”, will already begin this school year (2023-24), according to a recent Department of Education announcement.
“The new K to 10 curriculum will integrate peace competencies – highlighting the promotion of non-violent actions and the development of conflict-resolution skills in learners. For after all, [if] there is security, there is peace,” Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte said.
Duterte had earlier drawn flack for seeking P150 million in confidential funds for the second year in a row, under the DepEd’s proposed 2024 budget of P758.59 billion.
She justified her request by saying that “education is intertwined with national security,” which doesn’t really explain much.
The decongested “Matatag” curriculum is the result of a two-year review of the current K-12 curriculum, and reduces the number of learning competencies from 11,738 to only 3,664, or by 70 percent.
Learning competencies refer to concepts learned in the previous grade level that students are expected to bring to the next one. When it comes to “peace education”, it would seem that such a massive reduction could certainly make the lives of Filipino students and teachers more peaceful.
In Grades 1 and 2, for example, the subject areas were reduced from seven to five, consisting of language, reading and literacy, mathematics, good manners and right conduct, and Makabansa (patriotism).
Another change is the removal of Mother Tongue as a separate subject due to challenges in implementation. It will be replaced by the language class which would focus on general communication skills and would be taught in the language spoken by a majority of students in the area.
The senior high curriculum is also under review, but will be unveiled sometime in 2024, with the overall goal of creating students who are employable and globally competitive by the time they graduate 12th grade.
Hopefully the review of the DepEd’s K-10 curriculum, which has resulted in significant changes, will result in the level up of the country’s struggling education system, and the reduction of learning competencies by 70 percent will yield better results, and just make things easier or dumb down the curriculum for the sake of better grades that may should also produce globally competitive graduates.*
