The Department of Education (DepEd) maintained that the topic of same-sex unions and marriages has been in the basic education curriculum since 2013.
The inclusion of same-sex union and same-sex marriage in the K to 12 curriculum, DepEd said, seeks to provide students with a "broader understanding of gender-based issues, encourage respect within the community, and promote inclusivity.”
DepEd defends inclusion of same-sex unions in revised K to 10 curriculum
May 4, 2023 05:05 AM
At a glance
The Department of Education (DepEd) defended the inclusion of same-sex unions in the proposed revised basic education curriculum noting that the concepts have been discussed among students in the past ten years.
(DepEd / MB Visual Content Group)
“The topic on same-sex unions has been in the curriculum since 2013,” DepEd said in a statement issued Thursday night.
“It seeks to provide learners with a broader understanding of gender-based issues, encourage respect within the community, and promote inclusivity,” DepEd added.
Early this week, CIBAC Party-List Rep. Bro. Eddie Villanueva slammed DepEd for “inclusion and promotion” of gender fluidity, same-sex union, and same-sex marriage topics in its Kinder to Grade 10 draft curriculum guide (CG).
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While DepEd did not directly respond to Villanueva’s statement, the agency said it “will consolidate and consider all the comments received” as it moved to finalize the curriculum guide for K to 10.
In its K to 10 draft curriculum guide released last month, same-sex unions and same-sex marriage were among the topics included in the revised Araling Panlipunan (AP) or Social Studies curriculum for Grade 10.
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https://mb.com.ph/2023/4/29/dep-ed-releases-draft-of-k-to-10-curriculum-what-s-new-this-time
In particular, junior high school students are expected to learn the difference between same-sex marriage and same-sex union as well as its privileges.
In the proposed CG for Grade 10, DepEd also incorporated concepts of gender roles and other related issues which include hate crime and discrimination in different settings.
DepEd’s revised curriculum for Social Studies also tackles case studies on gender issues such as the gender wage gap in the county as well as LGBTQ+ children and their experiences, among others.
For the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines, the inclusion of same-sex unions and same-sex marriage in the Grade 10 draft curriculum is among the “improved presentations and progressive additions” in the revised basic education curriculum.
Aside from same-sex union and marriage, ACT noted the inclusion of topics on the West Philippine Sea and the Hague Arbitral Ruling; human rights violation that cites red-tagging, and extra-judicial killings and trolling.
ACT also cited the presentation of American colonialism and Japanese occupation as imperialism; the presentation of post World War II period in the Philippines as a period of neocolonialism; and an improved presentation of the Marcos dictatorship period that discusses human rights violations, repression of rights and liberties, ill-gotten wealth and grave economic crisis in Grade 6.
The group also noted DepEd’s “attempt to finish the AP subject in every grade level with substantial discussions on contemporary issues.”
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