WHAT happened to the announced revisions in the country’s basic education curriculum is a question that begs itself.
In August 2023, education authorities announced revisions in the curriculum which included reduction in the number of competencies, and more focus on development of foundational skills like literacy, numeracy, and socio-emotional skills to kindergarten-Grade 3 learners.
Added to this was the intensified formation of learners’ values and character development in adherence to the Good Manners and Right Conduct and Values Education Act as well as the articulation to 21st Century Skills.
Let us remember too the MATATAG Curriculum, unveiled earlier on alongside the K-12 Curriculum, implemented in the 2012-2013 academic year.
The term MATATAG means stable in Filipino, but is an acronym for innovative (MAkabagong, referring to the curriculum), talent (TA), relating to the learners’ intelligence, and the courage, referring to students’ resilience (TAPANG).
The MATATAG curriculum was an initiative of the Department of Education to ensure a relevant curriculum, which would eventually equip students with in-demand skills and knowledge, seen as a settling step in the shift from a “teacher-centric” to a “student-centric” learning environment.
The features of the MATATAG Curriculum included the peace competencies highlighting the promotion of non-violent actions, and development of conflict resolution skills.
That time, authorities said the curriculum would be integral in DepEd’s MATATAG Agenda, unveiled in Jan. 2023, and DepEd’s track remained basically illuminated by the wisdom of the slogan ‘MATATAG: Bansang makabata, batang makabansa’ – meaning DepEd’s programs and reforms were intentionally tailored to produce competent, job-ready, active, responsible, and patriotic citizens.
But with academic year 2025-2026 already on the roll, questions have resurfaced if the basic education curriculum had in fact succeeded in promoting learners’ well-being.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has said he would leave it up to Congress to decide whether or not to abolish the K-12 basic system of education – with an estimated 4.7 million from about 28 million students up to the tertiary level. He stressed he wants improvements while it remains in place.
The K-12 curriculum law, or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, sought to strengthen the curriculum and increase the number of years for basic education from 10 to 12 and make Filipino students globally competitive by providing a more comprehensive, learner-centered, and contextually relevant education system.
But critics of the curriculum said it has failed to deliver its promise, and had only produced overburdened teachers and students.
We understand the President’s concern that the program, implemented more than a decade ago, has not provided any real advantage to its graduates.
“It’s costing parents more because two additional years were added. They still have to pay for enrolment, buy a lot of school supplies, purchase books – everything. Yet after 10 years, graduates still don’ get jobs,” the President had said.
