A group of teachers welcomed the proposed changes in the K to 123 curriculum as contained in the draft released by the Department of Education (DepEd) last month. (MARK BALMORES / MANILA BULLETIN)
“Curriculum changes are imperative if we hope to ever recover and initial steps have already been taken,” Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) said in a statement. In April, DepEd released the draft of the proposed changes in the Kinder to Grade 10 (K to 10) curriculum. READ: [https://mb.com.ph/2023/4/29/dep-ed-releases-draft-of-k-to-10-curriculum-what-s-new-this-time](https://mb.com.ph/2023/4/29/dep-ed-releases-draft-of-k-to-10-curriculum-what-s-new-this-time) The public review, which was initially set on May 3, was extended for 10 days to get more feedback from education stakeholders on the released Curriculum Guide (CG). READ: [https://mb.com.ph/2023/5/6/dep-ed-extends-public-review-of-k-to-10-draft-revised-curriculum-until-may-13](https://mb.com.ph/2023/5/6/dep-ed-extends-public-review-of-k-to-10-draft-revised-curriculum-until-may-13) “The TDC acknowledges the proposed curriculum changes in accordance with the draft released by the DepEd for public scrutiny and review,” the group said. The group noted that among these proposals are some of the changes that it has been “advocating for” particularly the push for the review of the existing K to 12 curriculum to “strengthen the civic and cultural studies, the social sciences and humanities.” TDC cited the proposed changes related to martial law, human rights abuses, and corruption. The group pointed out that history is the “scientific recording and analysis of past events based on the best available data, documents and verifiable records, including those from the government executive, legislative and judicial records.” Given this, TDC pointed out that its “inclusion in our curriculum is vital in the context of introducing the important concepts of good governance, human rights, integrity and humanity.” For the group, it is “imperative that we prepare our children” as early as Grade 6 to learn and appreciate human rights, the rule of law, and good governance. “The teaching of Human Rights is essential to any civil society regardless of political leanings of its individual citizens,” it added.
TDC also noted the inclusion of topics on the West Philippine Sea, red-tagging, extra-judicial killings, and trolling. “Red-tagging and extra-judicial killings are obviously human rights issues to the core,” TDC said. “ Our students must understand how essential the concept of human rights and respect for the rule of law and the dues process are,” it added. For TDC, discussing trolling responds to the “severe decline in critical thinking among Filipinos of all ages.” The issue of the West Philippine Sea, on the other hand, is a “national issue” that also has something to do with the Philippines’ relationship with other countries and the community of nations. “Citizens must understand the relationship and processes of countries in order to further increase the concept of patriotism while they appreciate the peaceful ways of conflict resolution,” TDC added. TDC also welcomed the inclusion of topics on gender issues, including LGBTQIA+ concerns. “Gender-based discrimination and violence victimize all citizens in different ways and must all be addressed in the curriculum,” TDC said. “DepEds role, however, is never to indoctrinate but to facilitate intelligent and fearless tackling of these issues and prevent the silencing of any particular group in favor of another,” it added. TDC also noted that the teaching of indigenous values, culture, geography, and civic studies are yet other essential matters that must be learned as early as kindergarten. “In part, this is actually covered by the subject SIKAP (Sibika, Sining at Kultura, Kasaysayan at Kagalingang Pangkatawan), albeit the need to ensure the further indigenization of our primary education at the classroom level remains to be met,” TDC added.