In Pursuit of Cutting-edge Education
SLCV Adopts Millennium Curriculum
The Spark   *  September 2003
Arrianne C. Guzman & April Joy L. Sevilleno

The subjects in the new curriculum respond to the individual needs of the students, and are contextualized in their present conditions. Reciprocal interaction between student-teacher, among students, students-instructional materials, students-multi-media sources, students-teachers of different disciplines is also reinforced. The approach to the subjects is “integrated,”. Thus, Filipino and English would, in addition to reading, writing and grammar, include literature and current affairs. The school principal is authorized to make adjustments, but not modification, to the content of the subjects.

DepEd officials said the new curriculum was made to improve the quality of teaching especially in math and sciences. It claims that more stress on math and science subjects are needed because Filipino students are doing poorly in international tests of competence in these two vital areas.

The BEC follows the counsel of the Congressional Commission on Education focusing classroom instruction in Science, Mathematics, Pilipino, English and Makabayan — short courses in values, history, geography, physical education, music, and practical arts.

The revised BEC has been implemented since June 2002. About 600,000 teachers from both private and public schools have been trained on the new curriculum.
Raul Roco said the features of the new curriculum were first proposed 16 years ago at the education department. He added that since 1995, intensive consultations among schools, parents and various stakeholders had been done before formulating the new curriculum and in 1998, the Philippine Commission on Education Reform (PCER) concluded that "focus on basics" in education must be implemented by 2002. He emphasizes that integration is a key to basic education and that interaction is important to awaken the children's minds.

REVIEWING THE OLD CURRICULUM

The main objectives of Secondary Education Development Program (SEDP) are to strengthen the Ministry of Science, Technology, Education and Culture (MOSTEC), develop the quality and coverage of basic, non-formal and secondary education, create a market-driven Technical Education and Vocational Training (TEVT) program and fortify the Science and Technology (S & T) capacity at the tertiary level. SEDP will also direct the Government's poverty alleviation strategy in the education sector.

The SEDP contains the New Secondary Education Curriculum (NSEC) implemented in 1989, which changed the 1973 Revised Education Program (RSEP). The program was applied in response to the following needs: continuation of the Program for Decentralized Education (PRODED) giving emphasis on science and technology, mathematics, reading, and writing; improve the value of high school graduates; and develop access to quality secondary education.

BEC vs SEDP

SEDP is said to be overcrowded, putting together too many competencies and topics. This results to the loss of mastery of basic skills, narrow opportunity to process and contextualize major concepts and weak interconnections of competencies.

On the other hand, BEC had encountered various criticisms.

Tessie Aquino Oreta, the main author of Republic Act No. 9155 or the Governance of Basic Education Act, said the "outcome of learning" among students in public schools nationwide will be sacrificed and eventually suffer because a number of teachers in the country are not prepared to teach the new curriculum.

The research agency, IBON Foundation, also criticized the design of the BEC, claiming it caters to the needs of multinational corporations for highly skilled and technically proficient workers at the expense of nationalism.
Antonio Tinio, national coordinator of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), said the new curriculum will have a strategically adverse impact on the promotion of a scientific and nationalist education program which are critical components in the holistic development and progress of a nation. He said the BEC is a scheme crafted to produce lowly paid labor force that will support the niche marketing schemes of the government and corporations in the era of globalization. He added that the DepEd rushed the implementation of the program to catch up with the full implementation of World Trade Organization agreements in 2004. According to ACT, BEC will be producing cheap skilled laborers for the world market instead of Filipinos with a strong sense of history, culture, arts and life skills.

In spite of the negative impressions, the restructured curriculum allows teachers to address important issues promoting social awareness to the students. It develops wider views of each subject matter while reducing redundancy of content. It also helps to keep pace with the changes in the global context of our educational system and to attain functional literacy. It aims to provide more attention on the means of learning and at the same time promote values development to all the students. It features greater importance on helping every learner particularly in Grades 1-3 to become successful reader. Mathematics on the other hand is the focus in the secondary level. It emphasizes interactive teaching approaches and values formation in all subject areas.

In accordance with the changes in the education curriculum imposed by the DepEd, SLC’s high school department is conducting the integration program once every grading period by a pair of teachers for three hours.