Learners, teachers, and schools gave the revised MATATAG K-10 curriculum program a positive response, the Department of Education said after its pilot implementation started Monday.
Education Undersecretary Michael Poa, in a statement Tuesday, said teachers who participated in the pilot run were adequately prepared after they completed their training under the new curriculum for kindergarten to grade 10 learners.
The participating regions reported that teachers were ready “due to capacity building activities and orientation sessions on the new curriculum conducted prior to the first day of implementation,” he said.
Five Metro Manila schools joined the pilot run for the revised K-10 curriculum along with 35 other public elementary and high schools around the country.
Poa also said adjustments would be made to fit the time allotments of certain learning areas.
“This period of adjustment is expected – as the very purpose of the pilot implementation is to monitor and determine areas that may need to be improved or enhancements that may be put in place in preparation for the nationwide phased-implementation of the MATATAG Curriculum come SY 2024-2025,” Poa added.
Officially launched last month, the MATATAG Curriculum is expected to decongest the present K to 12 curriculum by reducing the number of competencies and focusing more on the development of foundational skills, such as literacy, numeracy, and socio-emotional skills of kindergarten to Grade 3 learners.
The new basic education curriculum was initially implemented in 35 schools in seven regions – Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Visayas, Soccsksargen, Cordillera Administrative Region, Caraga, and the National Capital Region.
Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Z. Duterte-Carpio said on Monday that the pilot implementation of the MATATAG K to 10 Curriculum is also in preparation for its phased rollout next year.
“We have the pilot this year to see the problems in the implementation so that in the phased implementation of the MATATAG Curriculum next year, we will have fewer problems to fix,” Duterte-Carpio said.
Beginning SY 2024-2025, the phased implementation of the MATATAG K to 10 Curriculum will be applied to Kindergarten, Grades 1, 4, and 7; to Grades 2, 5, and 8 in SY 2025-2026; to Grades 3, 6, and 9 in SY 2026-2027; and to Grade 10 in SY 2027-2028.
