Teachers to speak out on new curriculum

As the nationwide implementation of the 2002 Basic Education Curriculum draws near, various sectors and interest groups have come out to air their views on the reform.

This time, nationally recognized model teachers will give their expert opinion on the restructured curriculum in a freewheeling, "no-holds-barred" roundtable discussion scheduled tomorrow at the Philippine Social Science Center.

Jointly organized by the UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines-Social and Human Sciences Committee (UNACOM-SHSC) and the Philippine Social Science Council (PSSC), the activity aims to elicit the insights of select teacher-awardees of the Metrobank Foundation (Metrobank Outstanding Teachers) and Avon (Gintong Ilawan) on the restructured curriculum, as well as facilitate discussion on contentious issues affecting its implementation.

"As stakeholders in the ongoing curriculum reform, elementary and secondary school teachers, especially those considered at the top of their profession, ought to come on record with their professional perceptions on the quality and suitability of the restructured curriculum content and instructional method," UNACOM-SHSC vice chairman Florantine Homedo said.

Much of the debate on the 2002 basic education curriculum is centered on the Integration of the Social Studies, Values Education, Technology and Home Economics, Music, Geography, History, Health and Physical Education subjects under the learning area, Makabayan. In the updated curriculum, the learning areas are trimmed down to five, namely, English, Math, Science, Filipino and Makabayan. The streamlining of the curriculum, according to the Department of Education, is in line with the recommendation of various studies, which found the old curriculum "overcrowded," "non-responsive" and "lacking in relevance," accounting for the dismal performance and low achievement level of Filipino students in schools.

The roundtable discussion is the fourth phase of the Textbook and Curriculum Review and Reform Project initiated by the UNACOM-SHSC and PSSC three years ago to aid educators and policymakers in improving the quality of Philippine basic education. The earlier phases involved the critique of DECS-approved elementary and high school textbooks, review of the old and development of a new social studies curriculum for basic education, and identification of important social and human sciences concepts in social studies.