New K to 12 curriculum more relevant, practical, comprehensive and enjoyable

MANILA, Philippines – The new enhanced curriculum for Grade 1 and 1st year high school students under the K (Kindergarten) + 12 Basic Education Curriculum (BEC) by the Department of Education which will be introduced in school year 2012 to 2013, will be more “enjoyable” and more comprehensive to students.

For one, DepEd said that the enhanced curriculum will allow shorter class hours for Grade 1, from the current six to only four hours of school a day.

For first year students, the classes will be more “interactive” and relevant, with more practical application of the lessons taught.

Education Secretary Armin Luistro said the new curriculum is focused more on the students rather on the traditional way of teaching which is focused on the teacher.

“We are making it a real learning experience for the students, meaning, it will be less on memorization but more encouraging of critical thinking,” he said.

Luistro said that the new K to 12 curriculum will also implement the mother tongue-based multi-lingual education (MTB-MLE) in studying lessons from Kindergarten up to Grade 3.

Studies have shown that students learn better when the language used at home is the same language used in discussing class lessons. DepEd is already piloting MTB-MLE in various schools nationwide using eight major regional dialects.

DepEd’s ambitious effort to implement K to 12 is the main thrust of the education reform program under the Aquino administration which seeks to produce high school graduates who are equipped with skills for the world of work, have better needed competencies for college education and ready for global opportunities.

Under the K to 12 program, the public school system will have a mandatory kindergarten or preschool level which was started this current school year when it opened last June, six years in elementary, four years in junior high school, and two more years for senior high school where students will have more time to sharpen their employable skills.

The new curriculum for Grade 1 will only require pupils to go to school for half a day.

“From six hours contact time everyday, we will reduce it to four hours to make education less stressful and more enjoyable for our young learners,” Luistro explained.

Luistro stressed that schooling should be enjoyable and this would be achieved for the students of Grade 1 in the enhanced K to 12 curriculum with shorter school days.

“It is important that our learners develop that natural love for learning and not feel that it is something imposed on them,” Luistro said.

On the other hand, the first year high school curriculum will be more interactive and relevant in everyday life.

Science teaching, for example, will be based on its practical use.

“As students go up the ladder, we want them to learn skills that are being demanded by employers while at the same time giving them the chance to appreciate and enjoy the lessons,” Luistro stressed.

The Philippines is only one of two, with the other being Myanmar, with a 10 year BEC with only six years of elementary school and four years of high school in the world, before the DepEd’s move to implement K to 12. –Rainier Allan Ronda (The Philippine Star)