Manila Bulletin
Filipino language advocates slam DepEd for supporting removal of Filipino as core course in college
Filipino language advocates slam DepEd for supporting removal of Filipino as core course in college
Filipino language advocates slam DepEd for supporting removal of Filipino as core course in college
By AJ Siytangco
Published Nov 21, 2018 04:27 pm
By Merlina Hernando-Malipot
An alliance of professors and advocates of the Filipino language slammed the Department of Education (DepEd) for “supporting” the removal of the Filipino and Panitikan as core courses in the curriculum for tertiary level.
(MANILA BULLETIN)
Alyansa ng Mga Tagapagtanggol ng Wikang Filipino (TANGGOL WIKA) Convenor Dr. David San Juan criticized the DepEd – under the leadership of Education Secretary Leonor Briones – for allegedly supporting the removal of the Filipino and Panitikan a core course in the new general education curriculum (GEC) in college.
TANGGOL WIKA is among the groups urging the Supreme Court (SC) to reverse its recent decision to lift the temporary restraining order (TRO) on a memorandum of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) excluding Filipino and Panitikan as core college courses. The SC decision continues to draw flak from Filipino language advocates and other stakeholders. San Juan said that around 10,000 professors/ teachers might be displaced following the removal of the said subjects in the GEC.
Earlier, Briones said that the teachers who might be displaced following the recent SC order are welcome to apply to the DepEd. However, San Juan finds DepEd’s stand problematic. “May mali talaga sa stand todo-suporta siya sa pagpatay ng Filipino at Panitikan at pinapalipat pa nga niya sa basic education ang mga matatanggalan ng trabaho sa college,” he said. (There’s something wrong on her stand because she is supportive of killing the Filipino and Literature and she was even welcoming the transfer to basic education of those who will be losing their jobs in college).
Meanwhile, San Juan also called out DepEd for the inclusion of foreign languages in the basic education curriculum – particularly Korean.
DepEd has been under fire for offering Korean in basic education following the alleged removal of Filipino and Panitikan as core courses in college as per the SC decision. Earlier, DepEd clarified that foreign languages taught in selected public schools as elective subjects – particularly Korean – are not meant to replace the Filipino subject in the basic education curriculum.
Issuing a statement, DepEd emphasized that offering of the foreign language program is in “no way intended to and shall not replace the Filipino subject” in the basic education level. The Department issued this clarification “amid misguided assertions and the timing of reports about the offering of elective Korean language class in selected public schools.”
San Juan, on the other hand, noted that “we should not let DepEd off the hook.” He said that the context of the public’s ire on the Special Program in Foreign Language (SPFL) offered by DepEd in selected schools is the “fact that the results of the National Achievement Test (NAT) remain low” and that there are “still no sufficient materials for in basic education.”
DepEd, San Juan stressed, continues to defend the killing of Filipino at Literature in college while promoting its foreign language electives. “Simple ang isyu: unahin ang wikang sarili at huwag ipagtanggol ang pagpatay sa wikang sarili,” he said. (The issue is simple: pay attention to our own language first before we defend the killing of our own language).
San Juan said that Briones should “apologize” for supporting the killing of Filipino at Panitikan in college “otherwise, this will be related to the foreign language elective program of DepEd.” Likewise, he also urged DepEd to pay attention first to the needs of the country’s basic education system before focusing on the offering of foreign languages as electives. “Mas mainam tiyakin na may librong maayos bawat student sa Filipino classes, at kung mag-offer man ng languages as electives, unahin ang iba pang wika ng Pilipinas,” he said. (It is better to ensure first that our students in Filipino classes have books and if they offer language classes as electives, they should offer other languages of the Philippines first.)
Pending DepEd's public apology and reversal of its stance of “lamely justifying the killing of Filipino and Panitikan,” San Juan said that “we can keep on lambasting DepEd's foreign language elective program.”
In an earlier statement, DepEd explained that the inclusion of the Korean language in DepEd’s SPFL was formalized way back in June 2017 – under a memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the Philippines and South Korea.
DepEd said that the study of the Korean language is “elective and not part of the core subjects” of around 700 learners in 10 selected junior high schools (JHS) in the National Capital Region. Apart from offering Korean language class, DepEd is currently implementing five (5) SPFL classes in Spanish, French, German, Chinese, and Japanese – in all public schools. The said program is open to Grades 7 to 10 learners who have demonstrated competence in Filipino and English, and are interested in and capable of learning another foreign language.
Briones also maintained that the subject Filipino remains to be among the “core subjects: in basic education, while the teaching of Panitikan in the Filipino subject serves as a “springboard for discussion of grammar lessons and a way of strengthening the Filipino identity and culture.”
DepEd also assured that Filipino continues to be the medium of instruction for subjects such as Araling Panlipunan and Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao. Aside from Filipino, DepEd said that the Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) is also being implemented in Kindergarten, Grades 1, 2, and 3 in all public schools.
(MANILA BULLETIN)
Alyansa ng Mga Tagapagtanggol ng Wikang Filipino (TANGGOL WIKA) Convenor Dr. David San Juan criticized the DepEd – under the leadership of Education Secretary Leonor Briones – for allegedly supporting the removal of the Filipino and Panitikan a core course in the new general education curriculum (GEC) in college.
TANGGOL WIKA is among the groups urging the Supreme Court (SC) to reverse its recent decision to lift the temporary restraining order (TRO) on a memorandum of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) excluding Filipino and Panitikan as core college courses. The SC decision continues to draw flak from Filipino language advocates and other stakeholders. San Juan said that around 10,000 professors/ teachers might be displaced following the removal of the said subjects in the GEC.
Earlier, Briones said that the teachers who might be displaced following the recent SC order are welcome to apply to the DepEd. However, San Juan finds DepEd’s stand problematic. “May mali talaga sa stand todo-suporta siya sa pagpatay ng Filipino at Panitikan at pinapalipat pa nga niya sa basic education ang mga matatanggalan ng trabaho sa college,” he said. (There’s something wrong on her stand because she is supportive of killing the Filipino and Literature and she was even welcoming the transfer to basic education of those who will be losing their jobs in college).
Meanwhile, San Juan also called out DepEd for the inclusion of foreign languages in the basic education curriculum – particularly Korean.
DepEd has been under fire for offering Korean in basic education following the alleged removal of Filipino and Panitikan as core courses in college as per the SC decision. Earlier, DepEd clarified that foreign languages taught in selected public schools as elective subjects – particularly Korean – are not meant to replace the Filipino subject in the basic education curriculum.
Issuing a statement, DepEd emphasized that offering of the foreign language program is in “no way intended to and shall not replace the Filipino subject” in the basic education level. The Department issued this clarification “amid misguided assertions and the timing of reports about the offering of elective Korean language class in selected public schools.”
San Juan, on the other hand, noted that “we should not let DepEd off the hook.” He said that the context of the public’s ire on the Special Program in Foreign Language (SPFL) offered by DepEd in selected schools is the “fact that the results of the National Achievement Test (NAT) remain low” and that there are “still no sufficient materials for in basic education.”
DepEd, San Juan stressed, continues to defend the killing of Filipino at Literature in college while promoting its foreign language electives. “Simple ang isyu: unahin ang wikang sarili at huwag ipagtanggol ang pagpatay sa wikang sarili,” he said. (The issue is simple: pay attention to our own language first before we defend the killing of our own language).
San Juan said that Briones should “apologize” for supporting the killing of Filipino at Panitikan in college “otherwise, this will be related to the foreign language elective program of DepEd.” Likewise, he also urged DepEd to pay attention first to the needs of the country’s basic education system before focusing on the offering of foreign languages as electives. “Mas mainam tiyakin na may librong maayos bawat student sa Filipino classes, at kung mag-offer man ng languages as electives, unahin ang iba pang wika ng Pilipinas,” he said. (It is better to ensure first that our students in Filipino classes have books and if they offer language classes as electives, they should offer other languages of the Philippines first.)
Pending DepEd's public apology and reversal of its stance of “lamely justifying the killing of Filipino and Panitikan,” San Juan said that “we can keep on lambasting DepEd's foreign language elective program.”
In an earlier statement, DepEd explained that the inclusion of the Korean language in DepEd’s SPFL was formalized way back in June 2017 – under a memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the Philippines and South Korea.
DepEd said that the study of the Korean language is “elective and not part of the core subjects” of around 700 learners in 10 selected junior high schools (JHS) in the National Capital Region. Apart from offering Korean language class, DepEd is currently implementing five (5) SPFL classes in Spanish, French, German, Chinese, and Japanese – in all public schools. The said program is open to Grades 7 to 10 learners who have demonstrated competence in Filipino and English, and are interested in and capable of learning another foreign language.
Briones also maintained that the subject Filipino remains to be among the “core subjects: in basic education, while the teaching of Panitikan in the Filipino subject serves as a “springboard for discussion of grammar lessons and a way of strengthening the Filipino identity and culture.”
DepEd also assured that Filipino continues to be the medium of instruction for subjects such as Araling Panlipunan and Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao. Aside from Filipino, DepEd said that the Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) is also being implemented in Kindergarten, Grades 1, 2, and 3 in all public schools.