Gatchalian: Curriculum reform needed for better PISA result
Published Feb 10, 2020 12:00 am
By Mario Casayuran
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian urged on Monday the Department of Education (DepEd) to act more quickly to reform the curriculum if the Philippines hopes to perform better in the next round of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) next year.
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian
(Senate of the Philippines / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO) Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture, said beyond a better PISA performance, curriculum reform is about enhancing the quality of education for students under the K-12 program. ‘’No better’’ was how Gatchalian sees the Philippines’ performance in the forthcoming PISA 2021 if no significant reforms are implemented in the K-12 curriculum. PISA is a triennial study by the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) which evaluates 15-year olds’ proficiency levels in Reading Comprehension, Science, and Mathematics. Results of PISA 2018 showed that out of 79 countries, the Philippines ranked lowest in Reading Comprehension and second lowest in Science and Mathematics. “We will be taking PISA again in 2021, meaning, if we don’t implement reforms immediately, don’t expect dramatic change from our scores. Curriculum reform is the fastest way of improving, we should decongest our curriculum to give our learners more time to think and our teachers more time to teach,” Gatchalian said. A congested curriculum requiring too many competencies is one of the biggest challenges hounding the K-12 program. Because of curriculum congestion, adequate teaching time and students’ deeper understanding are compromised. It also prevents students from achieving sufficient competence in Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic, which results in the continuous presence of non-readers in the higher grades. Gatchalian has recently filed a resolution calling for a Senate inquiry on the results of PISA 2018. The inquiry, according to Gatchalian, aims to align legislative initiatives and budget priorities with DepEd’s national reform plan “Sulong EduKalidad,” which shifts focus from mere access, to having quality in the basic education sector. There are four key reform areas under DepEd’s “Sulong EduKalidad:” K to 12 curriculum review and update, improving the learning environment, teachers’ up-skilling and re-skilling, and engagement of stakeholders for support and collaboration. Read more: PH reels from poor ranking in reading, science and mathematics among 79 countries
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian(Senate of the Philippines / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO) Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture, said beyond a better PISA performance, curriculum reform is about enhancing the quality of education for students under the K-12 program. ‘’No better’’ was how Gatchalian sees the Philippines’ performance in the forthcoming PISA 2021 if no significant reforms are implemented in the K-12 curriculum. PISA is a triennial study by the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) which evaluates 15-year olds’ proficiency levels in Reading Comprehension, Science, and Mathematics. Results of PISA 2018 showed that out of 79 countries, the Philippines ranked lowest in Reading Comprehension and second lowest in Science and Mathematics. “We will be taking PISA again in 2021, meaning, if we don’t implement reforms immediately, don’t expect dramatic change from our scores. Curriculum reform is the fastest way of improving, we should decongest our curriculum to give our learners more time to think and our teachers more time to teach,” Gatchalian said. A congested curriculum requiring too many competencies is one of the biggest challenges hounding the K-12 program. Because of curriculum congestion, adequate teaching time and students’ deeper understanding are compromised. It also prevents students from achieving sufficient competence in Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic, which results in the continuous presence of non-readers in the higher grades. Gatchalian has recently filed a resolution calling for a Senate inquiry on the results of PISA 2018. The inquiry, according to Gatchalian, aims to align legislative initiatives and budget priorities with DepEd’s national reform plan “Sulong EduKalidad,” which shifts focus from mere access, to having quality in the basic education sector. There are four key reform areas under DepEd’s “Sulong EduKalidad:” K to 12 curriculum review and update, improving the learning environment, teachers’ up-skilling and re-skilling, and engagement of stakeholders for support and collaboration. Read more: PH reels from poor ranking in reading, science and mathematics among 79 countries