Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Monday said he will continue to pursue measures to complement the realization of the Department of Education’s (DepEd) MATATAG Agenda and improve learners’ performance.
Gatchalian made this remark after Vice President and DepEd Secretary Sara Duterte, during her presentation of the Basic Education Report 2024 last Thursday, said the MATATAG K to 10 curriculum will be rolled out, starting School Year 2024-2025.
The MATATAG K to 10 curriculum, the product of two years of study, decongests the old curriculum from more than 11,000 competencies to 3,600. It also focuses on basic competencies such as literacy and numeracy.
Gatchalian, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, called the MATATAG K to 10 curriculum as a low-hanging fruit to help improve learners’ performance.
He said, however, the curriculum’s success would depend on its implementation and the readiness of teachers for the rollout.
Gatchalian noted that under the 2024 national budget, PHP777.5 million has been allotted for teachers’ in-service training, including the training of K to 10 teachers for the rollout of the MATATAG curriculum.
“Bagama’t nagpapatuloy ang mga hamong kinakaharap natin sa pag-angat sa kalidad ng edukasyon sa bansa, nananatili ang ating determinasyong maabot ang mga layunin ng MATATAG agenda, itaguyod ang kapakanan ng ating mga guro, at tiyaking walang batang mapag-iiwanan (Although the challenges we face in raising the quality of education in the country continue, our determination remains to achieve the goals of the MATATAG agenda, promote the welfare of our teachers, and ensure that no child is left behind),” Gatchalian said in a news release.
As the DepEd implements learning recovery programs, including Catch-Up Fridays, Gatchalian also pushing for the passage of Senate Bill (SB) 1604 or ARAL Program Act, seeking to institute a nationwide learning recovery program to mitigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and to boost learners’ literacy and numeracy.
Duterte also reported that the department is currently reviewing the senior high school program.
To help boost the employability of senior high school graduates, Gatchalian is also pushing for the passage of SB 2367 (Batang Magaling Act) which seeks to strengthen the linkages and collaboration among the DepEd, local government units, the academe, and industry partners.
SB 2367 aims to ensure that senior high school graduates are well-prepared for higher education, middle-skills development, employment, or entrepreneurship.
To uphold teachers’ welfare, which Duterte also highlighted in her report, Gatchalian is pushing for the passage of the Revised Magna Carta for Public School Teachers (SB 4670).
The proposed measure seeks to reduce classroom teaching hours from six to four. It prohibits the assignment of non-teaching tasks to teachers and seeks the grant of calamity leave, educational benefits, longevity pay, and special hardship allowance based on a set criteria.
In his speech during the Basic Education Report 2024, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. called on Filipino people to join with the administration in transforming the country’s education system as envisioned in the “Bagong Pilipinas” campaign.
He said everyone is involved in the “Bagong Pilipinas” campaign, enjoying the opportunities of a modern, vibrant and peaceful Philippines.
Marcos said the envisioned “Bagong Pilipinas” will only be achieved if everyone will continue to transform the education system for the sake of the Filipino children.
“I thus call on everyone to join us in this daunting but extremely rewarding endeavor under Bagong Pilipinas, marked by a MATATAG education system that paves the way for a more empowered, secure, and progressive future,” President Marcos said. (PNA)