Education Secretary Sonny Angara on Monday, July 22, expressed openness to reviewing the existing Department of Education (DepEd) policy that removes “unnecessary” materials—such as visual aids and decorations—from classrooms to help learners focus on their teachers and lessons.
“Well, may argument for and against diyan (there are arguments for and against that),” Angara told reporters in an interview following his first flag-raising ceremony as DepEd Secretary.
“So, maybe I will conduct an informal survey to see what the sentiment of the teachers and learners is regarding this policy,” he added.
Angara was responding to a policy implemented by DepEd last school year which was issued by Vice President and former Education Secretary Sara Duterte.
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According to DepEd Order No. 21, or the 2023 Brigada Eskwela Implementing Guidelines, the agency instructed schools to ensure that their grounds, classrooms, walls, and other facilities are “clean and free from unnecessary artwork, decorations, tarpaulins, and posters at all times.”
READ:
https://mb.com.ph/2023/8/28/back-to-school-2023-blank-walls-and-persistent-issues
School opening
Meanwhile, Angara assured preparations for the opening of School Year (SY) 2024-2025 on July 29 are in full swing.
“Tuloy po tayo (We will proceed),” Angara said, noting that Duterte already issued a DepEd Order on school opening.
Among the ongoing preparations for the school opening, Angara mentioned the “Brigada Eskwela,” or the National Schools Maintenance Week, conducted from July 22 to 27.
READ:
https://mb.com.ph/2024/7/14/dep-ed-sets-brigada-eskwela-for-sy-2024-2025-from-july-22-to-27
On July 20, Angara participated in his first “Brigada” as DepEd Chief at a public school in Quezon City.
Angara also assured that DepEd remains committed to addressing shortages in basic education resources.
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Regarding learning materials, Angara confirmed that books will be delivered to public schools next month.
On the curriculum front, Angara emphasized his intention to continue with the MATATAG Curriculum.
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“Gusto po talaga natin ay may curriculum stability tayo (What we want is to have curriculum stability),” Angara said.
“Ako, wala akong balak na magbago ng curriculum, we just want to work from what’s already there (I have no intention of changing the curriculum; we just want to build on what’s already there),” he added.
DepEd is set to implement the MATATAG curriculum in phases for select grade levels starting SY 2024-2025.
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When asked if there would be a revision or if things would remain as they are, Angara stated he wanted to see the status of the review first.
“I want to see the existing review will be, ano yung mga resulta (what is the result) and we will take it from there,” Angara said. “I want to find out the status of the review before we go on),” he added.
The MATATAG Curriculum is the revised curriculum for Kindergarten to Grade 10, while the review for the Senior High School (SHS) curriculum for Grades 11 and 12 is still ongoing, according to DepEd.
Meanwhile, with the rainy season affecting in-person classes, Angara assured that measures are still in place to ensure learning continues. “Kapag hindi makapasok yung mga bata sa mga classrooms (If the children can’t attend classes in person), we have to resort to alternative modes of delivery,” he added.
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