Group asks DepEd to halt pilot run of ‘experimental’ MATATAG curriculum

The Department of Education (DepEd) was urged to “halt” the pilot implementation of the revised K to 10 curriculum pending further reassessment and conduct of an evidence-based learning assessment to overhaul the country’s basic education curriculum.

“The MATATAG curriculum is just a rebranding of the Enhanced Basic Education Curriculum or K to 12 which ultimate goal is to adhere to the global demand for cheap and docile laborers that will only benefit the interests of large-scale foreign investors,” the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) said in a statement.

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https://mb.com.ph/2023/8/12/understanding-dep-ed-s-matatag-k-to-10-curriculum

After the pilot implementation of the MATATAG Curriculum for Kinder, grades 1, 4, and 7 in 35 schools nationwide on Sept. 25, ACT called for its suspension until an “open, democratic, and genuine consultation” could be carried out with education stakeholders.

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https://mb.com.ph/2023/9/25/pilot-run-of-matatag-k-to-10-curriculum-begins-in-35-schools

ACT alleged that the benchmarking of the 21st-century skills development to produce graduates is aligned with the “demands of foreign entities.”

This, the group added, “runs counter to our need to produce graduates that should be inclined to the constitutional mandate of education to establish, maintain and support a complete, adequate and integrated system of education relevant to the needs of the people and society.”

‘Premature’ implementation

ACT also raised concerns that the “premature implementation” of the re-branded K to 12 curriculum is another “experimental educational scheme” making the Filipino youth vulnerable.

“Just like in the implementation of K to 12 in 2012, it is disheartening that after more than a decade, the DepEd would tell the public that an implemented curriculum is problematic,” ACT said.

Address education crisis

The group also alleged that the deteriorating “education crisis” results from the government's inability to comprehensively reform the curriculum and address educational shortages.

ACT added that the learning crisis also arises from the government's inability to “strengthen and empower teachers by enhancing their economic and working conditions.”
To address the current crisis in education faced by the country, ACT urged DepEd to conduct an “evidence-based nationwide learning assessment” to assess the extent of learning loss caused by a flawed curriculum and exacerbated by the two-year school closures during the pandemic.

ACT also underscored the urged need to “democratically and genuinely” draft a relevant and responsive curriculum that will produce graduates who will contribute to nation-building.

The group emphasized that the curriculum should contribute to building a nation that addresses the needs of the Filipino people, including food security and the development of small and medium enterprises.

The curriculum for basic education, ACT added, should also focus on the utilization of science and technology for agricultural development, and the establishment of basic national industries for the common people, rather than “solely for profit-driven capitalist entities.” 

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https://mb.com.ph/2023/9/25/1st-day-of-matatag-curriculum-pilot-run-met-with-positivity-dep-ed