DepEd launches MATATAG Curriculum adjusted K to 10 Curriculum with 'mother tongue' no longer as a separate subject

DepEd launches MATATAG Curriculum adjusted K to 10 curriculum with 'mother tongue' no longer as a separate subject

The Department of Education (DepEd) on Thursday launched the adjusted K to 10 curriculum dubbed as the “Matatag Curriculum” after two years of thorough review.

Vice President and DepEd Secretary Sara Duterte in an event in Pasay City noted that the review started during her predecessor, former Secretary Leonor Briones, after finding out the “alarming poor performance learners in national and international assessments.”

“The curriculum required instructors to teach an excessive number of learning competencies with very limited time available for instruction. Both learners and teachers are overburdened with lessons and other school tasks and activities. The result was devastating for our learners,” Duterte said.

“It compromised their mastery of fundamental skills such as reading and solving simple math problems,” she added.

With the new curriculum that will be taught to kindergarten to Grade 10, DepEd seeks to address issues in the previous system including the congestion of content.

DepEd Director IV Jocelyn Andaya of the Bureau of Curriculum Development said that 70 percent of the learning competencies of the current K to 10 curriculum have been taken out.

In the present system, there are the seven identified foundational skills or learning areas for students:

mother tongue

Filipino

English

Mathematics

Araling Panlipunan

MAPEH

Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao

Under the adjusted K to 10 curriculum, learning areas are reduced to only five:

Language

Reading and Literacy

Mathematics

Makabansa

GMRC (Good Manners and Right Conduct)

“There are competencies that repeat. There are competencies that are nice to know but not a ‘must to know’ that is why we aimed for essential learning competencies,” Andaya explained in a press conference.

“Ito iyong mga dadalhin ng mga bata na kahit tapos na siya sa pagaaral sa isang baitang ay dadalhin niya sa susunod na baitang. Hindi niya ito makakalimutan,” she added.

Andaya also explained that kindergarten learning will use “play-based approach” and formal subjects will only begin at grade 1.

Here are the subjects for each grade level:

Grade 1: Language, Reading and Literacy, Mathematics, Makabansa, GMRC

Grade 2: Filipino, English, Mathematics, Makabansa, GMRC

Grade 3: Filipino, English, Mathematics, Makabansa, GMRC, Science

Grades 4-10: Filipino, English, Mathematics, Science, Araling Panlipunan, Technology and Livelihood Education, MAPEH, GMRC

For grade 1 pupils, DepEd has given “flexibility” to teachers when it comes to the language to be taught to students.

“Ang gagamitin dito ay iyong lengwahe na alam ng bata, the language that the learners speak,” Andaya explained

DepEd also highlighted that “Mother tongue” will no longer be taught as a subject in all grade levels, and will only be used as a medium of instruction.

“Marami kasi tayong nakitang suliranin sa pagiimplement nito kung kaya pinagiisipan pa natin kung ano ang tamang paraan upang matuto pa rin ang mga bata sa kanyang mga asignatura,” Undersecretary for Curriculum and Teaching Gina Gonong explained

“Mother tongue as a subject is actually something that can be explained also or taken up in the languages and reading and literacy,” she added.

“The mother tongue as a subject has caused confusion sa teachers lalo na sa Luzon area,” she further explained.

There is also special emphasis on “Makabansa” learning areas across all levels which DepEd sees as an important tool to teach students on Filipino identity and nationalism.

“Ang gagamiting pagunawa ng mga bata, halimbawa sa usapin ng pagkilala sa sarili at kolektibong pagkilala sa kanyang lipunan at kultura ay gagamit ng kaisipan at ideya na appreciation sa arts, music, PE at health, Rowell Paderna, focal person for the ‘Makabansa learning area’ explained.

Aside from incorporating “clearer articulation of 21st-century skills” needed by students, Vice President Duterto also made sure that there are competencies that will teach students to be “peace-loving” individuals.

“The new K to 10 curriculum will integrate peace competencies — highlighting the promotion of non-violent actions and the development of conflict-resolution skills in learners. For after all, there is security, there is peace,” she said.

While the adjust curriculum decongests the learning competencies, DepEd said the class hours will remain the same.

The adjusted K to 10 curriculum will be piloted this upcoming school year 2023-2024 and DepEd is still in the process of identifying the particular grade levels and schools that will use it.

Formal implementation will be done by phases until 2028:

SY 2024-2025

Kinder

Grade 1

Grade 4

Grade 7

SY 2025-2026

Grade 2

Grade 5

Grade 8

SY 2026-2027

Grade 3