The new curriculum introduced a lot of changes in the educational set up of the country.  The government’s governing body in education was quick to defend the initial changes as a step toward global competitiveness of the Filipino students.  The new system was adopted in response to various studies which indicated a decline in the  academic performance of Filipino students, especially in Mathematics and Science.  Filipino students have been outshone by the fellow Asians in the two fields.

 

According to research, Filipinos are lagging in performance because of the inability to fully understand and grasp issues in Mathematics and Science.  Some Asians, like Chinese and Singaporeans, perform better because of their broad understanding of the concepts presented.  This can be attributed to their familiarity with the terms which have been presented to them in early years using their native language.  This works to their advantage.

 

The move of the Department of Education to present the lessons in the mother tongue during the formative years is laudable.  This will give the pupils an opportune time to better understand the subject concepts using the language they are more adept with.  Using the system applied by the neighboring countries can work wonders to the Filipino students who have always been globally competitive.  The results of the shift cannot be quantified yet, but is hoped that once the implementation of the new curriculum is completed, positive gains can be recorded by the sector.

 

Whatever the paradigm shift brings, it will surely be for the good of Philippine education in general, and the Filipino students, in particular.

By: Anna Liza P. Bongco | Master Teacher I | Orion Elementary School | Orion, Bataan