The Department of Education (DepEd) has taken the right step in launching a new “decongested” curriculum focusing on key competencies and foundational skills for learners called Matatag K-10 (Kinder to Grade 10).
The revised basic education curriculum will put emphasis on literacy and numeracy skills, reduce the number of learning competencies and balance cognitive demands.
It seeks to develop higher-level thinking skills and clearer articulation of 21st century skills, intensify values education, strengthen peace education, and make it at par with international standards.
This, we think, is how it should be.
The new curriculum is the product of the efforts of the DepEd Bureau of Curriculum Development.
What they did was to take out no less than 70 percent of the old curriculum because there were redundancies, competencies that were only ‘nice to know,’ but are not a ‘must to know,’ and aimed for essential learning competencies.
The key features of the Matatag curriculum include the removal of Mother Tongue-based subjects in Grade 1, which will be replaced by five core subjects focusing on literacy and numeracy.
The DepEd clarified the new curriculum did not remove the use of Mother Tongue learning as it is mandated in the K to 12 law.
The language curriculum will underscore the development of oral language skills for communication in the language the learners will understand, which is essential in developing foundational skills.
Reading and literacy competency, on the other hand, will give learners reading skills, comprehension, critical thinking, foster a love of reading, and help readers become confident and proficient readers.
We are glad the new “Makabansa” subject will weave vital content and skills from arts and culture, civics, history, and physical education and health.
This will give learners a deeper understanding of themselves and their collective identity as a Filipino.
The new curriculum will also feature the GMRC, or “Good Manners and Right Conduct,” subject in Grades 1-6 and Values Education from Grades 7-10.
Peace education will likewise be integrated into the new curriculum with focus on self-awareness, disaster mitigation and human security to make learners aware of seeking peaceful resolutions even inside the classroom.
The new curriculum will be introduced in phases, with Grades 1, 4 and 7 students experiencing the new curriculum in the school year 2024-2025.
Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte believes the new curriculum will provide children with a “meaningful learning experience that will boost their intelligence, improve their knowledge, enhance their skills and talents, and prepare them to become well-rounded, mature individuals.”
But it will also demand “extraordinary dedication, commitment, support, and resolve of our education stakeholders.”
All told, a new beginning for basic education in this country that we hope achieves its intended goals in the years ahead.